Community Engagement for Inclusive Journalism

We can build more diverse and inclusive journalism if we engage directly with community members. This interactive session -- part discussion, part workshop -- will take participants through a design thinking exercise for moving at the “speed of inclusion.” We'll explore how to represent the full diversity of voices in our communities to make them more present in our reporting. You’ll walk away with an engagement plan for a project that puts community at the core of reporting and learn foundational skills -- such as how to map stakeholders -- for putting these lessons into action.

Transcript

1. Community Engagement Models for More Inclusive Journalism 5MINUTE EXERCISE WELCOME TO: Laurenellen McCann Josh Stearns Jennifer Brandel Get started now with a @JENNIFERBRANDEL @JCSTEARNS @ELLE_MCCANN
3. Community Engagement Models for More Inclusive Journalism
4. What’s happening + HANDS-ON WORKSHOP! + DISCUSSION + QUICK TALK
5. Jennifer Brandel Laurenellen McCann Josh Stearns HELLO! @JENNIFERBRANDEL @JCSTEARNS @ELLE_MCCANN
6. GRDodge.org & LocalNewsLab.org @jcstearns & @grdodgemedia Creative experiments in journalism sustainability and community engagement
7. 3 Ways of Thinking About Participation and Inclusion 7 THE LEVELS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THE HOW OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THE WHEN OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (plus a gazillion inspiring examples)
8. LEVEL 1: COMMUNITY OUTREACH • Sharing ourselves, our expertise and our content. • Taking the content to the audience, rather than hoping they'll find us. • Being willing to participate in the community as individuals. BASED ON @MAYERJOY’S RJI FELLOWSHIP
9. LEVEL 2: CONVERSATION • Listening as well as talking. • Hosting discussions in person and online. • Participating in conversations we're not hosting. • Recognizing that journalism is a process, not just a product, and involving more voices in the process means more diverse journalism. BASED ON @MAYERJOY’S RJI FELLOWSHIP
10. LEVEL 3: COLLABORATION •Shared investment in and influence over our journalism. •Soliciting and relying on user contributions. •Allowing community to shape what we cover and how we allocate our resources. •Accomplishing things with the community that we could not do alone. BASED ON @MAYERJOY’S RJI FELLOWSHIP
11. THE LEVELS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THE HOW OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THE WHEN OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
13. YOU MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE … LITERALLY
14. 1. ...socially (Utilize Existing Social Infrastructure) 2. ...technically (Utilize Existing Tech Skills and Infrastructure) 3. ...physically (Lead from Shared Spaces) 4. ...on equal terms (Distribute Power) 5. ...and decide where you’re going together (Create Two-Way Educational Environments) MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE... ADAPTED FROM THE 5 MODES OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN CIVIC TECH BIT.LY/CIVICMODES
15. The communities you’d like to engage already exist. Make your strategic decisions with this knowledge. Don’t ask “How can we build X community?” Ask: “How can we get more involved with X community? How can we build a relationship with X community?” MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE … SOCIALLY HOT TIPS PARTNER WITH HYPERLOCAL GROUPS WITH INTERSECTING INTERESTS. INVEST IN ORGANIZING CAPACITY.
16. MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE … TECHNICALLY Technology is more than software, apps, computers. It defines a huge range of tools, from knitting needles to space ships. Choose the tools you use and build for engagement not by what seems popular to tinker with, but by what is most relevant to your communities’ skills, interests, and needs. HOT TIPS BUILD FOR BEST FIT, NOT LATEST FAD. REMIX, DON’T REINVENT.
17. If it works for design: WHO is your audience? WHO makes up your community? … And who doesn’t? Be brave enough to name specific groups, organizations, and demographics. KNOW WHO YOU’RE MEETING
18. BUILD WITH, NOT FOR
19. THE WHEN OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THE LEVELS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THE HOW OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
20. Traditional journalism
 story cycle REACTION COMMENTS CALL-INS
21. Public-powered
 story cycle PUBLIC POWERED VOTE ON FAVORITES ASK QUESTIONS SHAPE STORY + ACCOMPANY REPORTERS
23. Why are Latinos concentrated in the Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods? When did it happen? —CM! Winters-Palacio Are there actually tunnels Al Capone used underneath Chicago, and if so — where are they and to where do they lead? —Katie Conrad What’s the origin of the Chicago accent? —Sarahlynn Pablo What happens to your poop after you flush? —Satchel Lang Great questions become great stories
24. Knowing people as individuals and community — no longer as a mass — will allow us to build better services and new forms of news. — JEFF JARVIS, “IMAGINING NEW FUTURES FOR NEWS”
25. STORIES MADE FROM PUBLIC CURIOSITY PERFORM SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER THAN TYPICAL NEWS STORIES
26. Checklist for collaboration How and when are you creating opportunities for participation? How and how often are you letting them know they can participate? What rewards are you offering for participating? Would you act on those rewards? How are you thanking and acknowledging their participation? How does their participation actually influence the work you do? Where can they see their participation mattering / influencing the work you do?
27. More participation = more impact
28. WORKSHOP O’CLOCK 45 MIN
29. ORGANIZE INTO GROUPS OF 4-5 EACH GROUP MUST HAVE 1 COMMUNITY MEMBER (ONLY 1) Everyone else: your role is that: YOU WORK AT A NEWSROOM (doesn’t matter what type of newsroom, and you have no particular role, yet)
30. LOOK UNDER YOUR CHAIR
31. FORM YOUR GROUPS SAY HI TO EACH OTHER SIT TIGHT WE’LL GIVE YOUR GROUP A PACKET (FURTHER DIRECTION COMING)
32. Community member interview How do you spend your days? Why are you curious about _______? What’s the backstory? What would a satisfying answer include? In what way would you be most likely to consume the story made from your curiosity? (newspaper article, podcast, etc.) What’s your name? Who are you? Where do you live? Break into groups of 3-5. Your group must include 1 community member role (they have a sticky note under their chair!) Community member: Now is your time to shine! The group will interview you to learn what you’re curious about so they can create a story that satisfies you. You can use one of the curiosities you collected in the opening workshop exercise or use another curiosity. You don’t have to play yourself. Feel free to create a person / persona. Rest of Group: Interview the community member to better understand who they are, what information they want to know and why. Someone take notes below (you’ll want to reference them later). Here are some starter questions. Feel free to ask more! What are the main ways you consume news? MY NAME IS __________________________________________. I’M ___________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________. I’D LIKE TO SEE A STORY ABOUT ________________________ __________________________ BECAUSE ___________________ _______________________________________________________ _________________________. I TEND TO FIND NEWS AND INFORMATION BY _____________________________________ _______________________________________________________. Finally, fill in the blanks.
33. What’s the story and how will you create it? What’s the story about? What question(s) will it answer? What audience are you creating it for? Whom do you want it to reach? What media will tell the story best? (video, text, infographic, event, podcast, etc.) How are you going to report it? Who (or what kinds) of people will you be interviewing?
34. Checklist for participation How are you creating opportunities for participation? How and how often are you letting your community know they can participate? What rewards are you offering for participating? Would you act on those rewards? How are you thanking and acknowledging people for their participation? How does community participation actually influence the work you do? Where can community members see their participation mattering / influencing the work?
35. What roles are needed to accomplish this story? BAKER SOCIAL MEDIA PRODUCER RADIO PRODUCER VIDEO PRODUCER EDITOR REPORTER MIME ACTRESS ILLUSTRATOR DATA SCIENTIST DESIGNER SIGN-SPINNER MIDDLE-SCHOOLER TV REPORTER INTERPRETIVE DANCER ARTIST LINGUIST CITY OFFICIAL FRONTEND DEVELOPER RANDOM STRANGER DATA VISUALIZER HISTORIAN ANTHROPOLOGIST COPY-EDITOR BUDDY THERAPY DOG PEER REVIEWER FACT CHECKER AUDIO ENGINEER ENGAGEMENT EDITOR CHILD (WITH A SIGNED RELEASE) ANIMATOR INTERN DATA CRUNCHER COMMUNITY GARDENERS HOST PROJECT MANAGER HR DIRECTOR SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER FULL STACK DEVELOPER OTHER: ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Circle all that apply and think of some new ones, if you don’t see them here!
36. BRING IT IN (LET’S TALK)
37. Continuous, fresh ideas Compelling characters Higher-performing stories Rewards to inclusivity: Newsroom New editorial possibilities Deeper understanding of audience Differentiated content Authentic, targeted marketing Lead generation EDITORIAL BUSINESS
38. Being heard! Social capital Thrill of meeting reporters, participating Direct influence on news Access to people / places News literacy, appreciation Rewards: Audience
39. Participation is important community dopamine loyalty engagement
40. Maintaining a base of engaged, loyal readers — not just fickle drive-by traffic, is a matter of business survival. —JAKE BATSELL, AUTHOR OF “ENGAGED JOURNALISM”
41. EVEN MORE DELIGHTS Betsy O’Donovan AIR / @ODiter via
42. Community as experts
43. Community as experts
44. Community as creators
45. Story collection / dissemination IRL The Listening Post Talkbox
46. Everyone has a story about where they were on 9/11. Newsroom as community connectors
47. Individual as a surrogate
48. Community experiments
49. Spreading the skills / power
50. Participation: let audience be dynamic “Citizens were often quoted in stories, but within narrow limitations … mostly as a witness or bystander to an event.” PEW STUDY: LOCAL NEWS IN A DIGITAL AGE
51. Whatever you think your audience is capable of … YOU ARE RIGHT CHECK YOUR BIAS