New media isn't new

Howard Lake | 16 March 2006 | Blogs

The thing about new media not being new – it’s at least 10 years young in the UK charity sector – is that those of us who deal in it know that, but we still have to use ‘ear candy’ to get it noticed. Frankly, that’s what i think is most frustrating about how charities still work; it’s a bureacracy to have to label things in a way that gets them noticed. And arguably, calling it New Media and setting it apart by team structure and whatever else could be what prevents it from going mainstream. Perhaps..
When I recently chaired the Institute of Fundraising New Media Conference, I looked out for the job titles in the room. Yes, there was even an e-media person out there, something you wouldn’t have seen a couple of years ago. And some other variations too. And it was striking when someone with the profile and experience of Amanda Horton-Mastin, New Media Director at Comic Relief, mentioned in her presentation that she still has to force herself into meetings when marketing campaigns first get discussed.
So, 10 years-or-so on, when is new media going to stop being the last-minute option or the after thought? And what should we really be calling it? Comments welcome!

About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.