“Civic Lessons:” New Research on Civic Journalism
The research has been completed and the first academic study of projects supported by the Pew Center for Civic Journalism is off the presses. As reported in the January Civic Catalyst, the researchers found that the four civic journalism initiatives studied were widely and positively recognized in their communities and prompted increased civic activity. But […]
Pew Center Helps Support Project Reconnect
By Dr. Judy Vanslyke Turk Dean, College of Journalism and Mass Communications University of South Carolina Six daily newspapers and six college journalism programs have teamed up for an unprecedented experiment in newspaper change called Project Reconnect. Unlike most change efforts in the newspaper industry, which have been undertaken by the newspapers themselves, this effort […]
Sustaining Civic Journalism Efforts
The Pew Partnership for Civic Change is awarding grants to three communities — Binghamton, NY, Peoria, IL, and Portland, ME — to help citizens energized by civic journalism efforts move on to the next step and take action on complex issues. The grants are being awarded as part of The Community Change Project, created to […]
ASNE Survey: Support for Civic Journalism Techniques
Journalists surveyed for the American Society of Newspaper Editors registered solid approval of four approaches to civic journalism. The first two approaches, most like traditional journalism, received overwhelming approval, according to the April report. The report, “The Newspaper Journalists of the ’90s,” found that: 96% approved or somewhat approved of a paper reporting on alternative […]
Public Journalism Can’t Do It All
The Pew Center and The Record newspaper of Hackensack, N.J., have released a study showing that nine weeks and 54 full pages of issues-based coverage in the 1996 New Jersey Senate race failed to break through the noise of that heated, television-saturated campaign. “The Record’s public journalism was challenged by the environment around it: While ‘Campaign Central’ was […]
Feedback: Attitudes Toward Civic Journalism
Civic journalism was one of the key issues covered in a survey of 554 media executives nationwide in the spring and summer of 1997. The survey was conducted by Ketchum Public Relations Worldwide on behalf of The Associated Press Managing Editors and the Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Mass Communications. The survey’s goal was to […]
Does Civic Journalism Move the Needle?ASNE SURVEYS KEY PRACTITIONERS
Civic journalism techniques have proven effective in framing news coverage and examining defined issues in a serious way, according to a recent survey of civic journalists by the ASNE Ethics and Values Committee. Civic journalism has also helped to enhance newspaper reputations and prompted reporters and editors to think in new and creative ways. What […]
Project Reconnect
By Pat Ford It seemed the Colorado Springs business community might never agree with the local paper, The Gazette, on anything. Local business long complained of an anti-business bias and lack of sophistication in The Gazette’s business coverage. But after meeting together in focus groups last summer, Gazette editor Steve Smith says the two sides found a view they […]
Civic Journalism: Proof It Works
By Ted O’Brien Associate Director Pew Center Among the most difficult aspects of doing civic journalism is determining just how much impact covering elections, issues, and stories using civic listening, focus groups, and forums actually has on readers and viewers. No matter the outcome, critics routinely put a negative spin on such work. If voter […]
Research: Civic Journalism Reflects Old and New Traditions
By Jim Doyle Pew Center Advisory Board An editor in Philadelphia thought the city needed a more sophisticated and coordinated system of fire protection and that city officials were not up to the task. “He did more than editorialize that someone should undertake the project. Instead, he used his Pennsylvania Gazette to bring together fire officials, citizens […]