Communications committee/Call for members - March 2019
- This message, "Call for members for new Communications committee", was posted on Wikimedia-l by Gregory Varnum on 21 March 2019.
Hello!
After much discussion and brainstorming with the members of the current Communications committee, the Wikimedia Foundation Communications department is implementing changes to the Communications committee and how we collectively support each other's communications efforts.
Specifically, we are:
- Putting out a call for members of a new Communications committee (ComCom) which will work on more focused and long-term projects together.
- Replacing the current list with a new Movement Communications (MoveCom) mailing list to continue to facilitate wider discussions.
What does that mean exactly?
This new Communications committee will be composed of 10-15 volunteers serving 3-year terms, work closely with the Wikimedia Foundation Communications department, and be empowered to support communications efforts across the movement. Over the coming weeks, the Communications department will seek out and select potential members who will work with us to further establish the group's initial plans, scope, and activities. See below for more information on this selection process.
The new Movement Communications mailing list will allow the 200+ people on the current ComCom mailing list to engage in new and more transparent discussions. Current members will be asked to rejoin using a new process which allows us to publicly display who is involved with the mailing list discussions. More information on how to join the new list will be shared in coming weeks.
What will these new groups do?
The new Communications committee will work with the Communications department on implementation of movement-wide communications projects and support the development of communications capacities within movement groups and affiliates. How the group does that and what specifically that includes is something we are hoping to discuss with the inaugural committee.
The new Movement Communications mailing list, which will be facilitated by the new Communications committee, will be able to discuss topics brought up by members of the mailing list, Foundation's Communications department, or Communications committee. These topics may range from brainstorming solutions to a problem faced by a specific group on the list to coordinating communications efforts across groups on major events.
How do I join the new groups?
We will be sharing information on joining the new Movement communications group mailing list when it is fully setup and ready.
If you are interested in joining the new 10-15 person Communications committee, please send an email to gvarnum
wikimedia.org by 17 April 2019 and include:
- Acknowledgement that this is a three-year appointment and you are indeed interested and able to serve.
- Your community and staff (if you have any) usernames which you use on Wikimedia projects. Also any information on other roles you may have within the movement (please include both staff and volunteer roles). Please note that you must be in good standing (ie. not blocked) on the wikis to participate.
- A brief statement on why you would like to serve on the Communications committee, and in particular what you believe you can bring to the group and what you hope to gain from the experience.
- A brief statement on what ideas, if any, you have for what the new Communications committee could do or how the Foundation could help support its efforts.
The inaugural committee will be selected by the Communications department. Additional and future members will be selected by the committee, with support from the Communications department.
If you have any questions about these changes, the new groups, or the selection process for the new Communications committee, please feel free to reach out to me.
Thank you!