Civic journalism

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