Communicators perform a fundamental task in any work team, and even more so when it comes to innovation in cities. They facilitate the effective dissemination of ideas, projects and achievements towards different key actors, and act as strategic links between citizens, community leaders and entrepreneurs.
In it Local Innovators Program, the incorporation of professionals or students specialized in Communication, Journalism, Design or Photography allows the work process to be documented through various formats such as audiovisual content, journalistic notes and other resources.
This documentation becomes valuable material to increase the visibility of the team and the initiative they are designing. Additionally, communicators have the responsibility of seeking opportunities to publicize the project, establishing connections with journalists for possible interviews or other forms of dissemination.
These professionals also bring a diversity of experiences and knowledge. Coming from different parts of the world and with different specializations, their participation enriches the view and perspective of collaborative work. This encourages the generation of innovative ideas and more complete solutions adapted to the needs of each community.
Represent and explore
Within the framework of Mission 1 of the 2023 Local Innovators Program, the communicators had their first challenge: “Represent collaborative work”. They were given the task of capturing and transmitting through different content (photos, videos, recordings, journalistic notes, among others) the joint work between the municipal and social spheres. Using triggering questions, they reflected on the motives, motivations, and commonalities of the leaders participating in the program.
Subsequently, Mission 2 was developed. In it, the communicators had the opportunity to further explore the problem and understand the leaders of the system and the people involved. To do so, different research methods were used. This exploration stage allowed us to validate the hypotheses raised about the problem and the intervention points in the chosen system.
In June 2023, communicators participated in an inspirational webinar with Florence Tuchin, journalist specialized in solutions, sustainability and human development. The professional shared her experience and provided advice on how to generate content, journalism with a human focus, that is relevant and adequately represents the problem and the people affected.
A mobilizing role
Then, the communication teams tackled a new challenge: “Representing the social problem and the people affected by it.” At this stage, they were urged to capture and transmit, through different formats, the reality of the problem, the context in which it develops and the impact on the parties involved.
With the active participation of communicators, the 2023 Local Innovators Program not only seeks to design innovative solutions, but also to effectively communicate and disseminate the collaborative work carried out. Their work contributes to raising awareness, mobilizing resources and obtaining the necessary support to carry out the proposed initiatives.
Communicators play a vital role in this transformation process, providing a diverse and enriching perspective that expands the understanding of the problems addressed. Your ability to effectively represent collaborative work and social realities is essential to generating a positive impact in communities.
The program recognizes and values the work of communicators, and continues to promote their active participation in the search for systemic and transformative solutions to the challenges faced by each community.
Images of Challenge 1:
COMMUNICATORS
Illustrative main image: universia.net.
