Millennials are the most highly educated, ethnically diverse and creatively cross-disciplinary demographic in American history. They want to reinvigorate their cities, but are struggling to connect to traditional government and mass communication platforms to make policy changes. According to Rebekah Monson, this is where local media can play a role in community development. In this talk, Rebekah details the importance of local media when it comes to framing conversations, rather than providing one-sided relays of information, between policymakers and millennials. Rebekah Monson’s career is a study in the possibilities that lie at the intersection of technology, storytelling and civic engagement.
A graduate of the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication, Rebekah worked as an editor, design director and reporter at multiple publications before landing in South Florida to pursue an advanced degree in interactive media. It was there where she started to explore the power of technology and “civic hacking” to increase community engagement and improve the way citizens interact with their local governments. She co-founded Code for Miami, a Code for America group of volunteers working to transform civic technology in Miami-Dade County, and Hacks/Hackers Miami, a grassroots organization of journalists, designers and developers dedicated to reinventing media. Rebekah is co-founder and chief operating officer for WhereBy.Us, a local media startup that connects people to their cities through storytelling and experiences. Its publications, Miami’s The New Tropic and Seattle’s The Evergrey, produce email newsletters, original stories and events that reach more than a million locals each year. For Rebekah, encouraging community interest and involvement drives civic engagement, which makes for better cities and citizens.
A graduate of the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication, Rebekah worked as an editor, design director and reporter at multiple publications before landing in South Florida to pursue an advanced degree in interactive media. It was there where she started to explore the power of technology and “civic hacking” to increase community engagement and improve the way citizens interact with their local governments. She co-founded Code for Miami, a Code for America group of volunteers working to transform civic technology in Miami-Dade County, and Hacks/Hackers Miami, a grassroots organization of journalists, designers and developers dedicated to reinventing media. Rebekah is co-founder and chief operating officer for WhereBy.Us, a local media startup that connects people to their cities through storytelling and experiences. Its publications, Miami’s The New Tropic and Seattle’s The Evergrey, produce email newsletters, original stories and events that reach more than a million locals each year. For Rebekah, encouraging community interest and involvement drives civic engagement, which makes for better cities and citizens.