Just a reminder that our Austin UPA World Usability Day meeting is tonight!
We look forward to seeing you at The Austin Statesman at 7pm!
WHAT: FREE Seminar – “Fires, Education and Designing for Social Change – How the Austin American-Statesman utilized social media to inform a community during
Central Texas’ wildfires.”
FREE FOOD AND DRINKS: Provided by National Instruments!
WHEN: Thursday, November 10th, 2011, 7:00PM – 9:00PM
WHERE: The Austin American Statesman, 305 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX
78704
WHY: World Usability Day was founded in 2005 as an initiative of the
Usability Professionals’ Association to ensure that services and
products important to human life are easier to access and simpler to
use. This year’s theme is “Education, Designing for Social Change”
and is an opportunity for the community to learn more about making our
world work better.
RSVP: SEATING IS LIMITED! Ensure you are able to attend this rare
glimpse into the leading Journalism Social Media group. RSVP at
EventBrite today! (http://austinupawud.eventbrite.com/)
MORE INFORMATION:
On Sept. 4, 2011, a major fire disaster erupted within just a few
hours, and swept across several parts of Central Texas. Homes, pets
and livestock were lost and two deaths were attributed to the
wildfires. The Austin American-Statesman, through their reporting, web
and social media efforts, became THE source for the latest fire news.
Almost immediately, the Statesman’s Social Media Editor Maira Garcia,
sprang into action. The Statesman’s tens of thousands of Twitter and
Facebook followers turned to them for up-to-date fire coverage. The
Statesman became the leader in breaking fire news. Social media became
one of the primary ways for many in the community to stay informed
about a live and on-going disaster.
In this free World Usability Day seminar, Maira Garcia, the
Statesman’s Social Media Editor, will provide a rare glimpse into the
strategy and tactics surrounding the Austin Statesman’s disaster
coverage. You will learn how news was gleaned, vetted and distributed.
This is a very special opportunity to hear directly from those leading
the coverage how they did it, what they learned, and how education can
be provided by designing for social change.
