Not In Our Town is one of three films highlighted in Social Issue Documentary: The Evolution of Public Engagement [1], a recent Center for Social Media [2] report by Barbara Abrash, Director of Public Policy Programs at the Center for Media, Culture, and History at New York University [3]. Abrash uses the Not In Our Town films and campaign to show how innovative approaches in community outreach, social networking, multimedia, and civic engagement are breaking new ground in the realm of public media.

Here are a few excerpts from Abrash’s report:

“The evolution of [Not In Our Town] demonstrates how a documentary about the experience of one small city inspired cities and towns across the U.S. to adapt the NIOT model to local circumstances, and led to a loosely-structured alliance slated to become a sustainable virtual community.” [...]

“Lioness, NIOT, and State of Fear are examples of how documentary films not only provide trusted information about thorny issues, they tell stories that frame and give human meaning to those issues and provide language for debate across boundaries of difference. These projects reveal how filmmakers are using innovative spaces and practices to build upon established resources, and incorporating a sustained focus on outreach, engagement and public inclusion into their primary focus on production and distribution.”