If your organization still believes that the only way to reach mass audiences is through traditional, mainstream media, then think again. Citizen journalists - those scrappy individualists who contribute articles, camera phone pictures, and new ideas to their community - are more than a trend. They are an evolution of the media landscape.

And just to bring home the point, the Knight News Challenge is offering $5 million dollars “for innovative ideas using digital experiments to transform community news.”

“The Foundation plans to invest at least $25 million over five years in the search for bold community news experiments.”

Has anyone handed your local newspaper $25 million to experiment with journalism in your community? I didn’t think so.

Citizen Journalists. Professional firms, political campaigns, and non-profits had best get to know them.

With the bounty of e-newsletters that fill our inboxes every day, it’s easy to overlook them. It’s also easy to hate them. But rarely do we take the time to forward them to clients or friends who may be interested in the topic presented. Before forwarding, however, take a moment to delete the unsubscribe link from the bottom. We’ve seen all too many clients of our own who have lost valuable subscribers after the subscriber forwarded their e-mail on to someone else, only to have that person click the Unsubscribe link.

So while it’s a great practice to forward e-newsletters just to let people know you are thinking about them, be sure they don’t get the chance to cut you off from those subscriptions you do enjoy.

McKinsey Quarterly has published a terrific survey of companies around the globe and how they are using digital marketing.

“A McKinsey survey of marketing executives from around the world shows that in marketing, things are starting to change: companies are moving online across the spectrum of marketing activities, from building awareness to after-sales service, and they see online tools as an important and effective component of their marketing strategies.”

Read the article here (registration requred). We’ll have more insights based on their survey results and our own experiences soon, but suffice it to say, digital marketing has come of age as an important strategy, it’s just a matter of keeping professionals up-to-date on the changes.

We have so many political clients, that I couldn’t help but post this rather unusual tidbit.

Politics may not take a brain surgeon, but analyzing why people are conservative or liberal takes neuroscience.

According to a study released Sunday that actually compared the brainwaves of conservatives and liberals, “Conservatives tend to crave order and structure in their lives, and are more consistent in the way they make decisions. Liberals, by contrast, show a higher tolerance for ambiguity and complexity, and adapt more easily to unexpected circumstances.”

The study goes on to suggest that:

“Whether that is good or bad, of course, depends on one’s perspective: one could interpret the results to mean that liberals are nimble-minded and conservatives rigid and stubborn.

“Or one could, with equal justice, conclude that wishy-washy liberals don’t stick to their guns, while conservatives and steadfast and loyal.”

I’m really excited to announce the launch of a new portfolio feature, Flat Creek Stories (found here), on our main website. We called it Flat Creek Stories because the results of the creative, strategic services we offer are more than a portfolio. They are our stories, and help tell the stories of our clients.

We’ve had the opportunity to bring to life many exciting stories over the last few years. From the classic stories of swanky Washington, DC events to heartfelt tales of championing a cause, Flat Creek has a few memoirs from integrating the marketing capabilities that today’s professional firm needs.

There’s only a few to start, but we’ll add more soon. I realize it’s not the flashy-est portfolio around, but it tells about what we do and why we do it. And at the end of the day, I believe helping our clients tell their stories is what we do best.

This is last minute notice, but I’ve been asked by M.E. Sprengelmeyer of the Rocky Mountain News to join an online panel of debate analysts tonight for the Fox News presidential campaign. You can join in the fun here.