Iowa Ideas is a reporting and event series started by the Cedar Rapids Gazette in 2016 and designed to “explore the key questions and big ideas that will shape the future of Iowa.” The project’s hallmark event this year was its inaugural conference, which brought together more than 600 people to discuss Iowa’s education, workforce, healthcare, agriculture, energy, environment, and transportation.
Case Studies
How the Tennessean’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force Used Focused Listening
During the summer of 2016, The Tennessean introduced the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, a group open to the entire newsroom that tries to tackle the issue of diversity by speaking honestly about newsroom blind spots. The task force ensures that The Tennessean is accurately reflecting the demographics and needs of its community in its coverage and newsrooms.
How WFAE transformed in 5 years
WFAE’s 2015 transformation aimed to adapt to the digital landscape and have its staff and audience reflect the diversity of the area. Since then, WFAE doubled its content staff, increased its digital traffic seven-fold, attracted new members and grew its general revenues. It developed new habits around audience engagement, publishing frequency, hiring and mentoring, and more.
How Outlier Media and Detroit Documenters Produced a Voter Guide for Citizens
Through collaborating with media partners, Outlier focused on outreach efforts to make information about voting accessible for Detroit residents. The guide was ultimately made for and by community members.
How The Evergrey Bridged Political Divides in Washington and Oregon
In March 2017, Seattle’s The Evergrey took about 20 Seattleites to rural Oregon to spend an afternoon in conversation with 16 residents of Sherman County. The project’s name, Melting Mountains, was coined by Sandy Macnab, a just-retired Sherman and Wasco County agricultural agent who planned the event with Anika Anand and Mónica Guzmán, co-founders of The Evergrey.
How KQED is Forging New Bonds with Latinx Audiences
KQED’s three-phase research project revealed many of the core principles of community-centered journalism — people want to see news coverage and programming that is empowering, inspiring and demonstrates an understanding of cultural heritage.
How CALmatters Used Open Reporting to Collaborate With Community Members on Education Reporting
In early 2017, CALmatters education reporter Jessica Calefati grew frustrated while researching a piece about California school funding, after two Los Angeles area schools refused to comply with her records request. Calefati used “open reporting,” a method that gives readers insight to a reporter’s or media outlet’s newsgathering process, to enhance her main story.
How CapRadio Collaborated with the Meadowview Community to Construct Their Own Narrative
CapRadio spent a year listening and learning about Sacramento’s Meadowview neighborhood which came to prominence as the place where police shot and killed Stephon Clark.
How Resolve Philly Bridged Philadelphia’s “Digital Divide”
Equally Informed Philly is an initiative at Resolve Philly that bridges the city’s digital divide through a community-powered print newsletter and an English/Spanish Q&A Equal Info Line, as well as an SMS text-based newsletter focusing on gun violence solutions and resources in the city.
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.