In October 2017, Vox launched a year-long crowdsourcing project to collect readers’ emergency room bills and bring more transparency to these costs. At the time of producing this case study, Vox has collected more than 1,500 bills since launching the project and produced multiple stories.
Case Studies
How City of Disparity Addressed the Problems Affecting the People of Peoria
In 2015 the business website 24/7 Wall St. released a report that ranked Peoria, Illinois, as one of the 10 worst cities to live in for African Americans in the United States. Following the report, the Journal Star newsroom of Peoria launched City of Disparity, a year-long reporting project that examined the city’s disparities.
How “Ask A…” Used Q&A Sessions to Bring Conversations Back in Style
In 2016, after Donald Trump proposed a ban that would prevent Muslims from entering the U.S., KUOW radio station Executive Producer of Community Engagement, Ross Reynolds, wondered how he could provide people with the opportunity to learn about communities they may know nothing about. The answer he reached was the “Ask A…” project, a series of in-person events.
How Civil Beat’s Civil Café Facilitates Community Dialogue and Discussion Through Public Meetups
Civil Beat’s Civil Café series convenes influencers and knowledge experts to debate and discuss important Hawaii issues in front of an active and engaged audience. Most discussions are moderated by a Civil Beat editor or reporter, and cover timely and topical issues complementary to Civil Beat reporting like climate change, legislative issues, and economic welfare.
How Colorado Public Radio Found Common Ground with the Bread Series
After the 2016 election, Colorado Public Radio (CPR) reporters wanted to know how they could help bridge conversation across party lines in an increasingly polarized political climate. So in May, CPR brought together a politically and ethnically diverse group of listeners to share a meal and engage in conversation. The dinner series, now dubbed Breaking Bread.
How WAYM’s “This is Baltimore” Helped Baltimore Youth Challenge Negative Stereotypes
A day after the funeral of Freddie Gray and the subsequent escalation of protest violence, and in response to the narrowly focused reporting of national and local news outlets on the Baltimore Uprising, Wide Angle Youth Media (WAYM) students and staff felt compelled to use their documentary skills to collect positive images of Baltimore youth.
How Richland Source Served Local Mothers Through Listening
Parents connected with community resources to help combat the high infant mortality rate in Richland County. The community baby shower was a response to reporter Brittany Schock’s series on infant mortality: Healing Hope. With SJN, Schock organized the event and set up a Listening Post to give mothers an opportunity to share their experiences, advice, and vulnerabilities.
How Planet Detroit Keeps Readers Informed About Local Environmental Issues
In hopes of giving people a space to pose questions about local environmental issues, the team launched Ask Planet Detroit. They wanted to bridge the gap between the segregated cities and suburbs of Detroit under the common goal of understanding environmental issues.
How CapRadio collaborated with survivors to report on sexual assault
CapRadio produced the After The Assault participatory journalism project to investigate what the aftermath of sexual violence is like for survivors by sharing power over how their stories are told.
How El Tímpano Is Creating a Healthy News Ecosystem for Immigrant Communities
The organization works in collaboration with its audience to engage in two-way reporting via text message. This model replaces things like Facebook groups, which can fuel the spread of misinformation and amplify political polarization within communities. El Tímpano provides its audiences with access to the information they need from a source that’s earned their trust.
How Guns: An American Conversation Launched a Nationwide Discussion on Gun Control
Spaceship Media worked with Advance Local, Essential Partners, and other organizations to create a nationwide discussion between persons with very different opinions on the topic of gun control.
How KPCC/LAist Enabled Child Care Providers to Tell Their Own Stories
KPCC/LAist gave cameras to 12 childcare providers, early educators, and caregivers across Southern California. The goal was to gain an intimate look into their daily experience caring for young children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The result was an immersive, multimedia #nofilter look at early childhood care.