Introduction – Page 3

Indeed, it is more than dropping in on “quaint” places from time to time, something journalists often do during election seasons, to interview “the locals” at the rustic diner. And it is more than writing heart-wrenching human interest stories. It is more than just “listening.”

The most fruitful insights from tapping into civic life emerge when journalists actively engage people in uncovering the essence of what they are thinking; the tone in which they speak; the language they use; the experiences and values that shape their thoughts. This takes building trust with people, perhaps even an ongoing relationship. 

Getting these insights means asking the kinds of questions that “open up” conversation, rather than shut it down by looking for the soundbite or quick response. It also means giving people the time to draw a picture of how they see things, complete with nuances and connections. 

The extent to which journalists gain insights from civic conversations will depend largely on how they understand and work within civic spaces.

While the approaches and skills talked about in this workbook may be different from what some journalists do now, they do not have to be. The Harwood Group’s newsroom experience suggests that these approaches and skills can also enhance the so-called typical interview. 

The Next Step

The best place to begin this workbook is to read through the section, What Civic Life Offers Journalists; then use the assessment worksheet (Appendix) to help the newsroom decide if this is the right thing to do — and, if so, whether the time is right.

“KEY POINTS TO GUIDE YOUR WORK”

CREATE A MAP. Throughout this workbook, the term “mapping” is used. The idea is that a newsroom can create a road map for how different areas of a community’s civic life work and how journalists can tap into those areas.

DIG DEEP. This initiative is much like a long-term investigative effort where journalists constantly need to keep digging to discover what is really going on and what it means. For instance, it will not be enough just to find civic conversations and spaces. Journalists also must keep asking whether they are the “right” ones to tap.

ENGAGE IN CONVERSATION. The ability of newsrooms to engage in focused conversations will greatly affect their success. Give-and-take conversations are needed to sort out what the newsroom is finding, to think about what it means and to apply it to journalism. A conversation is when people make sense of things together, rather than someone “reporting” back on what they have found or simply listening and taking notes.

BUILD AS YOU GO. News organizations should constantly pull together what is being learned in this work. Don’t leave all the heavy lifting until the end. By then, many journalists may have become lost in a sea of information, wondering what this initiative has to do with journalism.

PUT NEW INSIGHTS TO USE. From the start, newsrooms should try to apply their newfound insights and ideas to daily journalism. This will help people see the practicality of this work.

REMEMBER, THIS IS AMBIGUOUS AND MESSY WORK. At times people will say, “It’s not clear what we’re getting here” or “Where are we going with this?” If that doesn’t happen, the work probably isn’t going deep enough. Keep reminding everyone that it is indeed a messy process to figure out the civic life of a community.

The Harwood Group developed and put into practice an approach for uncovering civic life in a community and tapping into it. Next, a team of Eagle editors and reporters teamed up with The Harwood Group to try out the materials and to make sure they were useful to journalists. The materials found in this workbook reflect their experiences and comments. 

The Eagle is now starting to work in the West Side of Wichita, which is its first attempt to do this kind of work on its own.