1. C H A P T E R 12
Future Trends
Chapter 12

2. The Age of Mass Communication
24-hour news
Internet news
Facebook news
Twitter news
Text news
Newspapers
Radio

3. Mass Communication Affects Human Behavior
Because preliminary news reports are often incorrect and people don’t pay attention to later correct reports, many people are misinformed.
Too much information about criminal activities causes people to be afraid of letting their children go outside.
Too much information about politics causes people to disengage from the political process.

4. Transparency
Additional transparency requirements are imposed on the government.
Open meeting acts are being expanded.
The Freedom of Information Act is being expanded.
Transparency requirements in financial reporting are being expanded.

5. Government Regulations of Business
Government regulations of business are being increased.
New laws are passed each year.
Few old laws are taken off the books.
Income tax regulations are also being expanded each year.

6. Nonprofit Regulations
Nonprofit regulations are being expanded.
State requirements for chartering make it more difficult to create a nonprofit organization.
State reporting requirements make it easier to lose nonprofit status.
IRS requirements to become a 501(c)(3) are more stringent.
IRS reporting requirements make it easier to lose nonprofit status.

7. Electronic Scrutiny of Government
Electronic scrutiny of government is more intense.
The public can watch Congress in action on CSPAN.
City council meetings are televised.
Board meeting minutes are available on government websites.
Financial reports are available on websites.
The public is permitted to comment about public officials on newspaper blogs.

8. GASB Requirements GASB requirements are getting more complicated.
For states: Statements 21 and 34
For local governments: Statements 1, 3, 14, 25, 27, and 34
Accounting for intangible assets
Accounting for land and investments held by endowments

9. Changes in Technology
Smartphones: Replace some of the need for laptops
Tablets: Replace some of the need for desktops
Social media: Goes right to smartphones and tablets

10. Focus on Revenues in Government and Nonprofit Leisure Services
Because of economic stagnation, donations have been relatively flat.
The only way to grow is to generate more revenues.
Government leisure services
Because of economic stagnation, tax revenues have been relatively flat.
More revenues is the solution.

11. More Market Research Private sector Nonprofit sector Government sector
Consumer behavior studies
Focus group testing
Nonprofit sector
Feasibility analyses
Donor polling
Government sector
Community needs assessments
Political polling for referenda

12. Application of Analysis Methodologies
Application of analysis methodologies is evolving.
Quantitative analysis
Being applied more to all sectors
Agencies are doing more in house
Requires learning some basic statistics
Qualitative analysis
Analysis of data is being improved

13. Summary People are exposed to more technology.
Sometimes the reaction is for people to withdraw.
Technology is making transparency more intense.
Financial reporting is becoming more complicated.
Agencies are relying on research more to understand how to serve people.
In-house research is a way of keeping up.