{"id":1629,"date":"2012-05-30T04:51:50","date_gmt":"2012-05-30T08:51:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/?p=1629"},"modified":"2012-05-30T04:51:50","modified_gmt":"2012-05-30T08:51:50","slug":"make-yourself-indispensable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2012\/05\/make-yourself-indispensable\/","title":{"rendered":"Make Yourself Indispensable"},"content":{"rendered":"

My hometown newspaper, the Winston-Salem (NC) Journal, is one of the papers Media General is selling to Warren Buffett’s BH (Berkshire Hathaway) Media Group. There was recently an article in the paper about that sale and Mr. Buffett’s communication with the publishers and editors of the papers the Group has purchased. The general take was that the new owners intend to be “hands off” in terms of editorial policy. But there was one sentence in Mr. Buffett’s letter that leapt off the page at me:<\/p>\n

It’s your job to make your paper <\/em>indispensable to anyone who cares about what is going on in your city or town.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The marching orders from the chief were not “make money.” They were “make yourself indispensable.” Of course, it is his conviction that with indispensability will come profitability, but his path to profit is via community connections. There have been other paths to profitability in print journalism. However, the days when those paths were successful appear to be numbered. The newspaper as a commercial enterprise is in trouble. Buffett is attempting to position his newspapers to benefit from “buy local” sensibilities by being<\/em> local.<\/p>\n

I had not thought before about the relationship between local newspapers and the arts. But Buffett’s admonition has stimulated my thinking in that regard. My ranting about community engagement has deep (though not exclusive) roots in the practical: our fundraising, marketing, and public policy efforts would be far more successful if people thought nice things about us. Seeking indispensability provides a new way of thinking our way to a bright future.<\/p>\n

So imagine, how would your work be, look, or feel different if you sought to become indispensable (as opposed to “nice”) in your community? To be seen as an essential resource rather than an amenity? What would it take for your community to look upon your organization as being as vital as a grocery store? (A fascinating side track for your thoughts would be why you are not<\/em> looked upon that way now.) If you say there is nothing you could do to achieve these ends, then I suggest to you that you don’t truly<\/em> believe in the power of the arts in people’s lives. But since you do, the answers to all those questions define the essence of community engagement. And in my weariness I wonder why we are not spending every waking moment attempting to move the ball in that direction.<\/p>\n

One of our nation’s most successful capitalists has pointed the way.\u00a0 First, imagine yourself as indispensable, then be<\/em> indispensable.<\/p>\n

Engage!<\/p>\n

Doug<\/p>\n

——————-<\/p>\n

Next week I will be journeying to San Antonio for the Americans for the Arts Annual Conference. I hope to see many of you there. A new development that might interest those of you attending is that AftA is sponsoring a book signing for me. Building Communities, Not Audiences<\/em><\/a> will (at last) be on sale. It is my understanding that the signing will take place at 4:00 pm on Friday, June 6 at CenterStage. I’d love to see you there.<\/p>\n

I will be posting complete purchase information (print and ebook) as soon as all of the media are prepared for sale.<\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My hometown newspaper, the Winston-Salem (NC) Journal, is one of the papers Media General is selling to Warren Buffett’s BH (Berkshire Hathaway) Media Group. There was recently an article in the paper about that sale and Mr. Buffett’s communication with the publishers and editors of the papers the Group has purchased. The general take was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[12,13,16],"class_list":{"0":"post-1629","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-overview","7":"category-principles","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-community-engagement","10":"tag-public-policy","11":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1G6h9-qh","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5021,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2017\/09\/why-engage\/","url_meta":{"origin":1629,"position":0},"title":"Why Engage?","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"September 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Why Engage? One stick, one carrot.","rel":"","context":"In "Overview"","block_context":{"text":"Overview","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/overview\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/CarrotAndStick-300x284.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4611,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2016\/09\/library-lessons\/","url_meta":{"origin":1629,"position":1},"title":"Library Lessons","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"September 28, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Library Lessons: Engaging with communities yields stunning public policy benefits.","rel":"","context":"In "Principles"","block_context":{"text":"Principles","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/principles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Document3","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/LibraryContrast-e1467833646244.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3474,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2014\/03\/indispensability\/","url_meta":{"origin":1629,"position":2},"title":"Indispensability","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"March 5, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"When we engage, when we seek to serve the community good, we begin to gain traction as being necessary. That is a substantial base upon which to build.","rel":"","context":"In "Principles"","block_context":{"text":"Principles","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/principles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"BecomeIndispensable","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/BecomeIndispensable-e1392744802805.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4543,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2016\/06\/what-can-be-left-out\/","url_meta":{"origin":1629,"position":3},"title":"What Can Be Left Out","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"June 29, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"What Can Be Left Out: Making the arts non-dispensable","rel":"","context":"In "Principles"","block_context":{"text":"Principles","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/principles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"JazzPianoHands","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/JazzPianoHands.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6034,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2020\/09\/community-engagement-network\/","url_meta":{"origin":1629,"position":4},"title":"Community Engagement Network","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"September 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The Community Engagement Network\u2013offering support to people working in the arts and community engagement.","rel":"","context":"In "Community Engagement Network"","block_context":{"text":"Community Engagement Network","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/community-engagement-network\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Network.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2063,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2012\/10\/lessons-from-a-pirate-i\/","url_meta":{"origin":1629,"position":5},"title":"Lessons from a Pirate: I","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"October 17, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Yes, you're right. 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