Civic journalism A brief overview of a reform movement in transition.
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Transcript of Civic journalism A brief overview of a reform movement in transition.
Civic journalism
A brief overview of a reform movement in transition
Jay Rosen
• Loss of circulation tied to loss of community
Jay Rosen
• Loss of circulation tied to loss of community
• “What Are Journalists For?” examines civic (public) journalism
Jay Rosen
• Loss of circulation tied to loss of community
• “What Are Journalists For?” examines civic (public) journalism
• John Dewey is his inspiration
“Bowling Alone”
• Robert Putnam traced the decline of “social capital”
“Bowling Alone”
• Robert Putnam traced the decline of “social capital”
• Newspaper readership associated with community involvement
“Bowling Alone”
• Robert Putnam traced the decline of “social capital”
• Newspaper readership associated with community involvement
• Doing good can be good for business
Journalists as social workers
• News orgs can galvanize local agenda and serving as a sounding board
Journalists as social workers
• News orgs can galvanize local agenda and serving as a sounding board
• The Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, Ga.
Journalists as social workers
• News orgs can galvanize local agenda and serving as a sounding board
• The Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, Ga.– 1988 series “Columbus: Beyond 2000”
Journalists as social workers
• News orgs can galvanize local agenda and serving as a sounding board
• The Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, Ga.– 1988 series “Columbus: Beyond 2000”– Followed up with public forum
Journalists as social workers
• News orgs can galvanize local agenda and serving as a sounding board
• The Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, Ga.– 1988 series “Columbus: Beyond 2000”– Followed up with public forum– Editor Jack Fuller founded civic group
called United Beyond 2000
Journalists as social workers
• News orgs can galvanize local agenda and serving as a sounding board
• The Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, Ga.– 1988 series “Columbus: Beyond 2000”– Followed up with public forum– Editor Jack Fuller founded civic group
called United Beyond 2000
• “Seeing the public into fuller existence”
What about objectivity?
• Traditional thinking says don’t get involved in community
What about objectivity?
• Traditional thinking says don’t get involved in community
• Len Downie, who doesn’t vote, says it shouldn’t matter to journalists whether others do or not
Notable experiments
• Boston Globe inadvertently predicted Buchanan victory in 1996
Notable experiments
• Boston Globe inadvertently predicted Buchanan victory in 1996
• In Wilmington, Del., town meetings on economic woes
Notable experiments
• Boston Globe inadvertently predicted Buchanan victory in 1996
• In Wilmington, Del., town meetings on economic woes
• In Indianapolis, Mike Tyson and race
The urge to pander
• What would reader surveys have showed in Southern newspapers in the 1950s?
Who owns the agenda?
• Helms-Gantt contest had broad themes of race, generational change and values
Who owns the agenda?
• Helms-Gantt contest had broad themes of race, generational change and values
• Michael Kelly argues that the media reduced it to a dry civics lesson — crime, taxes, health care, education
Where did civic journalism go?
• Jay Rosen moved on, is now a leading apostle of citizen journalism
Where did civic journalism go?
• Jay Rosen moved on, is now a leading apostle of citizen journalism
• Pioneering placeblogger Lisa Williams makes familiar argument about community
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