美國媒體、城市管理、志愿者事業的演變歷史及現狀

The Evolution, History and Current State of Media, City Management and Volunteer Activities in the United States

現代化以來美國的城市管理、媒體和志愿服務機制發生了重大的演變：（1）城市管理曾經也淪為以裙帶主義為特色的政治機器的構件，如今它建立起專業型規范和組織，以服務公共利益為中心，而非服務政黨或黨派；（2）被稱為“第四種政府權力”的媒體，其預設功能是客觀報道新聞事件，但又時常受到媒體偏見的批評，無論如何，媒體是公眾理念觀點的主要源泉；（3）志愿服務是美國的核心價值觀之一，志愿者往往是變革的因子，極大地影響著社區服務的類型和提供方式，然后投入志愿者工作的美國民眾數量正在下降。本門課程將概述上述復雜并發生變動的機制，探索機制之間的互動和影響。研究專題包括：市政官如何在關注度高的爭議性事件中體現專業素養？如何同主管官員保持專業距離？如何與媒體打交道？如何糾正事實型和感知性失誤？如何與志愿者打交道？地方治理（包括信息發布和影響民眾觀念和感知）中傳統媒體和新媒體的作用如何？媒體如何激勵志愿者？志愿者如何應用媒體遞送信息？政府管理、媒體和志愿者如何協作促進城市社區的進步？

Course description: The American institutions of city management, media, and volunteerism have evolved significantly during modern times. City management, once part of a favoritism-driven political machine, today has professional standards and organizations, with an emphasis on serving the public good rather than political parties or factions.; The news media, often called “the fourth branch of government,” supposedly covers issues and events with some objectivity, is often accused of bias but is nevertheless a major source of the public’s ideas and opinions; Volunteerism is a core American value, and volunteers are often agents of change. They have a great impact on what services a community offers, and how those services are delivered. Yet the numbers of Americans doing volunteer work is in decline. This course will view the complex, changing roles of these institutions, and how they continue to interact with and influence each other. Questions explored will include:

?How do city managers maintain their professionalism in highly visible, controversial issues?

?How can they maintain a professional distance from the politicians to whom they report?

?How can city managers best engage with the media? How can they correct errors of fact or perception?

?How can city managers best engage with volunteers?

?What is the role of both traditional and “new” media in local government, including the delivery of news and the shaping of opinions and perceptions?

?How can the media energize volunteers?

?How do volunteers use the media to get their message across?

?How can management, media, and volunteers work together for the betterment of the community?

主講老師：辛西婭·希爾海默 （Cynthia Seelhammer）

辛西婭·希爾海默現任美國亞利桑那州科科尼諾縣（美國第二大縣）市政官并有30年以上的地方政府管理從業經歷，辛西婭1980年畢業于 圣克勞德大學，獲得英語及大眾傳媒專業本科學位；1987年畢業于舊金山金門大學，獲工商管理碩士學位（聯邦、州及地方政府治理方向）；1998年畢業于哈佛大學肯尼迪學院“州政府和地方政府治理高級行政”項目。在從事地方政府工作之前，辛西婭在1980-1987間曾是一名專職記者，寫過無數新聞和雜志文章，她的發表還包括兩本地方治理方面的編著《舍本市的成長》（1980）和《圣保羅市實驗》（1990）。辛西婭目前還是亞利桑那大學以及亞利桑那州立大學的客座講師，教授地方治理的MPA課程。

Cynthia Seelhammer is currently the county manager of Coconino County, Arizona (second largest county in the US), and has been in municipal managerial positions for over 30 years. Cynthia Seelhammer received an undergraduate degree in English and Mass Communications from Saint Could State University in 1980 and a MPA degree from Golden Gate University at San Francisco with a focus in Urban, State and Federal Governance in 1987. She also graduated from the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University in 1998. Before local government jobs, Cynthia Seelhammer worked as a reporter in 1980-187 and wrote numerous newspaper and magazine articles. Her publications include two co-edited books, The Growth of Sherburne County (1980) and The St. Paul Experiment (1990). She is a guest lecturer for University of Arizona and Arizona State University, teaching MPA courses related to local government.

課程大綱：

美國媒體、城市管理、志愿者事業的演變歷史及現狀The Evolution, History and Current State of Media, City Management and Volunteer Activities in the United States.pdf