We chatted about a guide for journalists about how to host community conversations, hosted by Andrew Rockway and Joy Mayer.
Lightning Chats
Online Participation
Engaged journalists know there’s value to good participation in and moderation of online comments. But what does that actually look like? In this 30-minute video chat with Teddy Amenabar of The Washington Post, Elizabeth Dunbar of Minnesota Public Radio, and Andrew Losowsky of The Coral Project, we’ll talk about some benefits of investing in comments. Then we’ll look at specific comment threads and do some live brainstorming about how journalists could/should/might participate in them.
Democratizing Journalism: News of, by and for the community
City Bureau, a digital startup on the South Side of Chicago, has been attracting attention and funding for bringing “journalists and communities together in a collaborative spirit to produce media that is impactful, equitable and responsive to the public.” Co-founder Darryl Holliday explains City Bureau’s innovative model for participatory reporting and accountability journalism.
Accountability infrastructure for equitable journalism
Gather’s March 2023 lightning chat invited participants to explore models for “accountability infrastructure” — systems, structures, or programs that facilitate a process of holding stakeholders with more power responsible for listening to and addressing the needs and concerns of those with less.
Applying for Engagement Jobs
We chatted with Joy Mayer about what it takes to successfully apply for engagement jobs. What story should you tell about yourself? What format should your portfolio take? What pitfalls should you avoid, especially when talking to hiring editors who don’t specialize in engagement?
Evergreen Content
A news organization’s archive is a goldmine of stories and information that can continue to delight and be of use to your audience. But how do you know what to keep sharing? And how can you manage a calendar of evergreen content? Join Jessica Lee Martin, Audience Development Editor for Citylab, Haley Correll, Social Media Manager for American Red Cross, and Kristina Lucarelli, Manager for Amplify, Hearst Television to find out.
Launching a community-powered news product – The Chicago Documenters Newswire
Watch the Chicago Documenters Team members India Daniels, Nalani Saito, Natalie Frazier and Max Resnik in conversation with host Becca Aaronson from the News Product Alliance about centering community in product development.
Comment Moderation
Many engagement jobs include interaction in comments threads — on social media or on our own websites? How do we decide when to join in? What should we say, and what should we allow others to say? What should comment policies address? Join Andrew Losowsky and Lilah Raptopoulos as they discuss it more in depth.
Media 2070 for media reparations
Free Press is launching “Media 2070,” an in-depth research essay and organizing hub that documents and analyzes the history of media harm. Alicia Bell from Free Press talks about the origins and goals of the project, how they plan to engage their communities, and how you can stay in touch.
How to share power within communities for deeper, non-extractive engagement
Learn how to build reciprocal relationships with communities so your newsroom can truly serve local needs. Alicia Bell and Mike Rispoli will take you through their methodology, using grassroots organizing techniques to develop community leadership and share power.
Internal Engagement
Today’s talk with Jackie Haim, Ashley Alvarado, and Joy Mayer was about practicing internally the engagement we say we want to do externally. It was both about teaching our newsrooms about engagement and also about using the tools of engagement within our newsrooms.
SEO Best Practices
What are best practices for newsrooms around SEO concepts these days? And what should you do if you’re charged with sharing them with the rest of your newsroom? Join Nicole Barton of KQED (and previously of YouTube), Adriana Lacy of the LA Times, and Jessica Lee Martin of CityLab to find out.