What's Happening?
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is actively experimenting with new media strategies to broaden the reach and impact of its research and policy analysis. Sarah Labowitz, an expert on climate disasters at the Endowment, has spearheaded efforts
to engage with new online spaces, focusing on relationship building and storytelling. One notable collaboration involved partnering with storm chaser Edgar ONeal, who has a significant online following. This partnership allowed Labowitz's data visualizations on disaster preparedness to reach nearly 200,000 people, a substantial increase compared to the less than 1,000 views on the Endowment's website for a similar piece. The organization also emphasizes the importance of investing in relationships, as demonstrated by Labowitz's decision to host a dinner for creators and local community leaders in St. Louis, Missouri, instead of a paid campaign, which resulted in numerous collaboration inquiries from policymakers and media. The Endowment recognizes that effective new media engagement requires new skills, hires, partnerships, and a greater tolerance for experimentation, viewing new media as additive rather than a replacement for traditional media.
Why It's Important?
This strategic shift by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace highlights a growing trend among non-profit organizations and think tanks to adapt to the evolving media landscape. The traditional methods of disseminating research and influencing policy are becoming less effective in an increasingly fragmented and algorithmically curated information environment. By embracing new media and collaborating with online creators, organizations can bypass traditional gatekeepers and directly engage with diverse audiences, including those who may not actively seek out news or policy content. This approach is crucial for shaping public understanding and policy on critical issues like climate disasters, as it allows for the dissemination of complex information in accessible and engaging formats. The success of Labowitz's collaboration with Edgar ONeal demonstrates the potential for non-traditional partnerships to significantly amplify reach and impact, ultimately fostering a more informed public discourse and potentially influencing policy decisions more effectively.
What's Next?
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is likely to continue refining its new media strategies, focusing on identifying target audiences, defining mission-driven content, and understanding the existing ecosystem of online creators and gatekeepers. The organization will need to further invest in new skills, potentially new hires, and foster a culture of experimentation to adapt to the rapid pace of online trends. Future efforts may involve exploring different models of content creation, such as relinquishing some control to creators or cocreating content through long-term partnerships, to maximize reach and authenticity. The Endowment's experience suggests a continued emphasis on building genuine relationships with creators and communities, rather than solely relying on paid campaigns, to achieve sustained engagement and policy-relevant outcomes. This ongoing adaptation will be critical for the Endowment and similar organizations to remain relevant and influential in the digital age.
Beyond the Headlines
The Carnegie Endowment's foray into new media underscores a broader challenge for institutions built on traditional models of expertise and influence: how to maintain credibility and impact in an era where information consumption is increasingly personalized and driven by algorithms. The shift from demographic-based targeting to values-based targeting, as highlighted by the Endowment, reflects a deeper understanding of how individuals form worldviews and engage with content online. This approach has ethical implications, as organizations must navigate the line between informing and persuading, especially when collaborating with cultural and lifestyle influencers who may frame issues in ways that differ from traditional academic discourse. The success of these strategies could lead to a re-evaluation of how policy research is funded and disseminated, potentially favoring more agile, digitally-native approaches over conventional publishing and outreach. Ultimately, this evolution could reshape the landscape of public policy advocacy, making it more dynamic and responsive to online cultural currents.
