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After a six-month process of discovery and discussion, the Press Club’s board of directors voted on Oct. 19 to adopt a new 7-point strategic vision. It reads:
The Press Club of the future is:
- A club for anyone interested in understanding/connecting with the important work journalists do.
- A nimble, grassroots organization that works to connect the various other communications communities/organizations that exist in Northeast Ohio.
- Driven more by the energy and interests of its members than by the board.
- Financially lean and self-sustaining on member dues, event fees and individual donations - rather than big-dollar sponsorships.
- An organization that satisfies a wide range of interests by leveraging the expertise of its members to produce frequent, timely, low-cost pop-up events (live and/or online) that can be considered a success if they draw 10-20 people.
- An active supporter of student journalism and related initiatives.
- Evolving and flowing based on the desires of its members, who communicate freely and frequently among themselves, and who feel welcome to create initiatives of their own under the Press Club banner.
What it means
Those seven statements outline a lot of work to be done. They recognize that the Press Club hasn’t kept pace with the changes in the industry and region over the past 20 years, and they seek to confront the most important desire that arose from the discovery process: A sense of community for the people who work in and around journalism in all of its forms – from traditional newsrooms to non-profits to the many one-person ventures in blogging, podcasting and other forms of journalistic content.
From this point on, everything the club does will be measured against the vision. It will take years to fully realize, and it won’t happen because 19 board members come together once a month to discuss club programs and finances.
The vision calls on the board to focus on things that will engage more people, and to set up processes that empower members to create their own version of a club worth joining.
Most of the club’s current activities – including the Hall of Fame and Excellence in Journalism Awards – fit comfortably within this vision. But we recognize the need to make the club more responsive to a constantly evolving membership.
Census of journalists
As a starting point, the board has voted to undertake a “Census of Northeast Ohio Journalists” to identify anyone in the region who is doing journalistic work. We envision this as an ongoing data-collection project that can foster connections among journalists and communicators, while creating a tool for understanding all the work this community is doing. Over time, access to the census should become an important member benefit, a revenue stream and a project that is emulated in other regions.
Other work that needs to be done will be tackled bit by bit as our capacity increases and our vision takes shape. The board won’t be responsible for all of this. The board’s job is to set a tone and create the tools that allow the membership to take over.
Over time, it will become clear how you can get involved. Getting support from the club to create and lead your own programs will become part of everyday business.
For now, we need help building the infrastructure. We need people to join the programming committee; to help improve our social media presence; to work on the new census; to help prioritize and make possible the many other initiatives that the new vision implies.
The Press Club of Cleveland has been around for 136 years, and with this vision we believe the best is still to come.
If you’re interested in being part of the club’s next act, if you want to understand it better, or if you have something to say about it, I’d like to hear from you. Please call or write to me at bob.r@themarketfarm.com; 216-401-9342.
Rosenbaum helps to run the non-profit Heights Observer hyperlocal media project, and operates his own small strategic communications business, The MarketFarm.
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