A platform to support community-minded journalists
This playbook by jesikah maria ross is a guide to participatory journalism. The playbook is intended to help you select and develop stories in conversation with the communities most affected by a certain issue; design a reporting process that generates understanding, connection, and trust; and strengthen existing networks and forge new alliances that build community resilience beyond reporting.
Journalism + Design has developed a suite of systems thinking tools for journalists to focus their reporting on the underlying causes of complex problems: the policies, power dynamics, and beliefs fueling systems that actively harm, marginalize, or benefit specific people. By expanding our lens beyond individual events and outcomes, journalists can hold entire systems accountable, rather than just the symptoms they produce.
In the third open COVID-19 chat hosted by Joy Mayer, participants discussed one process for virtual events, how higher-ups need to set the tone for supporting staff right now, how journalists are taking on responsibilities not traditionally part of the job, and more.
In the second open COVID-19 chat hosted by Joy Mayer, participants discussed dealing with the Q&A firehose, creative ways to connect with and serve your communities, and more.
In the first open COVID-19 chat hosted by Joy Mayer, participants discussed best practices for reporting in a rapidly-changing situation, creative ways to rework standard coverage categories, pivoting from IRL engagement to virtual community engagement, and more.
Date: 01/16/2020
In 2018, New Jersey created the Civic Information Consortium, a first-of-its-kind nonprofit with the mission of strengthening local-news coverage and boosting civic engagement in communities across the state. Free Press Action conceived of the Civic Info Bill, which created the consortium and is now serving as a model for other states that are seeking to give people the news and information they need.
What are the biggest challenges specific to engagement work — both for internal communication on an engagement team and for communication with the rest of the organization? What about engagement work and about audience + community relationships and interactions most need to be communicated? What tools and strategies are helpful? Join Kim Bui and Emma Carew Grovum to find out.
Huge datasets that cover vital national issues are coming out of the federal government every day, and within them hide endless numbers of story leads for local journalists. With the proliferation of available data, it’s become common for newsrooms to have access to datasets that contain more story leads than they can meaningfully pursue themselves. Collaborative data journalism allows multiple newsrooms to find and tell those stories, increasing impactful stories told.
Grace Weber’s Music Lab, forged from collaboration between music artist Grace Weber and 88Nine Radio Milwaukee, is a free, monthly music and arts education program aimed at teaching high school students across Milwaukee, Wisconsin, about music and the entertainment industry.
Let’s talk about the pros and cons, and the when and why, to using crowdfunding for your media project with hosts Courtney Hurtt of WDET and Madeleine Poore of WAMU.
How do we make the case for investing in engagement? “Engagement” is an evolving set of practices within journalism, and its impact on attracting, developing, and satisfying audiences has yet to be fully and rigorously documented, particularly by the scholarly community. One entity that is making a strong case for the commercial, as well as the journalistic value of doing engagement work, is Hearken, whose landing page features in bold letters: “Does Hearken Work? Yes.”
University of Oregon’s Sustainable Cities Initiative (SCI) launched their Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) in La Pine, Oregon and partnered with other departments across campus including the SOJC’s engaged journalism class. They developed an engagement strategy to support the information health of La Pine.