Tomorrow night I am going to be a panelist for the Michigan State University Professional Writing Program’s town hall meeting, Write Here, Write Now. In preparation, this weekend I read over all of the student reports about the history of the program, the impact of the Cool Cities Initiative, and why many recent grads choose cities like New York and Chicago over Lansing or Detroit. The students certainly impressed me and they have all done a fantastic job researching and reporting the issues.
As I read the conclusion of “Greener Grass: Why Graduates are Leaving Michigan to Seek Job Opportunities Elsewhere” I was struck by the authors’ notion that “[p]laying up the positive and progressive sides of Michigan’s hotspots has the potential to change the rhetoric of Michigan.”
This statement instantly reminded me of a presention I attended hosted by the Public Relations Society of America Central Michigan Chapter on the re-branding of the City of Detroit. A quick Google search brought up an article from Metro Mode about the re-branding efforts that are aiming to not only make Detroit a tourist destination, but also an attraction for investors looking to find an employable, up-and-coming “Creative Class”:
The idea is that what’s good for selling the region to tourists is good for selling the region to investors and talented people, which is good for business. Plus, if you’ve got a healthy economy and a region full of young, creative workers, then you’ve got a place that’s attractive to visitors.
So far, things seem to be looking up for Detroit. The DIA has seen an increase in attendance, major movies are being made in the city, and the Life Sciences just may become one of Michigan’s core industries. All in all not bad. So what does this mean for professional writers? My advice for recent grads is to look carefully – each of these organizations or industries needs communicators, whether in print or online, opportunity is growing in Michigan.
Editor’s Note: Check out Richard Florida’s book on the Creative Class for more information.
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