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 […]
Building Road Maps for Reporters
By Pat Ford Staff Writer, Pew Center Experts on sprawl and race relations identified a series of challenges for journalists who delve into a new series of polls by the Pew Center. The polls reveal dramatic frustrations over sprawl and growth now edging out more traditional local issues, such as crime. Moreover, the polls found […]
Studying Civic Journalism
By Sharon Hartin Iorio Wichita State University How is civic journalism being conveyed visually by designers and photographers? And how is civic journalism being written about? These two questions are the focus of academic studies that will share top research honors this year, awarded by the Civic Journalism Interest Group of the Association for Education […]
Bringing Viewers Back to Local TV News
By Deborah Potter and Walter Gantz The news is troubling for local television news. Audiences in many major cities are down across the board for early evening and late newscasts. And news directors are searching desperately for ways to reverse the trend. “We’ve heard the wake-up call,” one corporate news executive says, “we’re just not […]