El Tímpano's Mayra Sierra assists a participant of the organization's DIY air filter workshop. Photo by Hiram Durán for El Tímpano. |
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Research underscores the value of better serving communities’ news needs |
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Recently released research can help shift conversations about the state of the news industry and its impact.
Seventeen contributions in the open-access issue of the ANNALS of American Political and Social Science offer insights to strengthen the conversation around community information needs through empirical, peer-reviewed work. The contributions, from journalists and media policy leaders, may also be helpful as nonprofit organizations continue to make the case for their relevance and importance in a volatile market.
In our latest INNsights post, Nikki Usher of the University of San Diego says, “The research indicates that when it comes to local news and the future of the industry, we may be emphasizing the wrong things, such as brand recognition or even the consequences our democracy faces with journalism’s decline. The focus should be on providing quality information that communities need and want.”
Usher outlines some key findings from that research, including their own.
- Efforts to support local news at the federal government level have failed before they started, so it may be wise to focus on support at the state level.
- Fears of hedge funds gutting newsrooms are valid. When an investment owner acquires a newsroom, it typically cuts about 14% of newsroom staff, shrinking general assignment coverage and political reporting.
- Communities rely on local news and seek information with little regard to brand names. And while people are not total suckers to deceptive, hyper-partisan news sites, there is a clear effect of the uproar about “fake” news: Mere claims that journalism is based or inaccurate, or fear of those claims, deters some community organizations and institutions from linking to news sites or weighing in on controversial topics.
- News organizations need to avoid deficit thinking or a one-size-fits-all approach when covering marginalized communities. They also need to find creative ways to reach those groups to address information gaps and access disparities.
Collectively the research not only reminds us that journalism is important, it also informs a new perspective of the role of journalists in providing information communities need.
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“Find your people”: In the ever-evolving landscape of digital journalism, solidarity and collaboration have become essential pillars for success. In a Venn diagram from Nieman Lab, explore the invaluable role played by INN and five of our peers in fostering a sense of community among digital news organizations. From facilitating learning and knowledge-sharing to providing a space for celebrating achievements, these groups serve as invaluable hubs for connection and support. INN leads and supports the INN Network — an alliance of more than 425 independent news organizations that provide high quality journalism as a public service.
Kudos
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INN member The Narwhal is in the running for three National Newspaper Awards. In partnership with IndigiNews, The Narwhal produced a feature on a stolen totem pole that was returned to the Nisga’a Nation after more than a century, earning a finalist spot in the Arts and Entertainment category. The organization is also a finalist in the Presentation/Design and Sustained News Coverage categories. “None of it would be possible without the generous support of over 6,000 Narwhal members who make this journalism possible — and help us tell some of the most important stories of our time,” managing editor Mike De Souza said.
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Outlier Media, an INN member, won the inaugural International Award for Local Media from the Association of Media of Information and Communication (AMIC) for "being a good example of how local journalism can serve at the same time to inform, involve and respond to the needs of the citizenry.”
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Congratulations to INN Network members Tradeoffs, Type Investigations, The Tributary, MuckRock, The Markup, Grist, and An Arm and a Leg for being named finalists for the 2024 NIHCM Awards in Journalism & Research. These awards honor in-depth investigations of “topics that have the greatest potential to inform policy and advance positive change in health care.”
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Shared by Halle Stockton, Editor-in-Chief and Co-Executive Director, PublicSource |
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PublicSource launched a one-two punch of special investigative projects over the course of roughly a week. This took teamwork throughout all levels of the 15-person organization to pull off successfully.
The first project out of the gate, “Opening the Books,” explored how the city’s wealthiest universities have invested their multibillion-dollar endowments in ways that are decreasingly transparent to students, faculty and the public.
The following Monday, PublicSource debuted the “EQT’s Gas Play” series with a story about the impacts of a Pittsburgh gas giant’s fracking operations on a West Virginia hamlet.
Not only did the reporters on those projects produce high-quality work, but others on the team also continued a stream of excellent enterprising journalism that served readers well and allowed for a more intense focus on those projects.
The visuals and audience team members elevated both projects with riveting imagery, strong branding and strategies to increase exposure.
As just one marker of success, the "EQT’s Gas Play" story was republished nine times by news organizations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and beyond and plugged at least five times in newsletters and news sites. To help this story find relevant audiences both by geography and interest, PublicSource strategized on an outreach plan and how to serve the partners with a tool to republish easily.
One of PublicSource’s core values is collaboration for the common good, and everyone on the team walked the walk, together, to deliver this critical journalism.
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