New Source for Community Journalism Help
The Covering Communities website was has just been launched. It’s mission statement says:
We seek to motivate members of the journalism community by broadening the understanding of how communities work and by showing how to apply that knowledge. We hope to become a valuable resource to those in the journalism field, providing working journalists, journalism students, educators and citizen journalists with a Web site that includes insights about community knowledge, training materials and examples of community journalism today.
Here is more from the about page:
This Web site came about thanks to the Knight Foundation, which awarded grants in 2005 to Richard Harwood of The Harwood Institute and Peggy Kuhr at the University of Kansas. Our partnership resulted in this set of tools that distilled years of research and work with journalists and communities. To learn more about us, read our bios.
Here is the opening page:
What does it take to produce meaningful journalism?
The Harwood Institute has discovered four key insights to covering communities that will help you consistently produce meaningful journalism and fulfill your own aspirations and goals.
These insights are based on more than 15 years of research and work with journalists and communities. In this section, you will find detailed frameworks, tools and resources to help you make use of these insights in your own work.
Name Your Aspirations. You can produce coverage that has the greatest impact when you name your aspirations.>
Know Your Community. The ability to produce journalism that is authentic and carries authority begins with community knowledge.
Engage People. People find the most meaning in community coverage when they are fully engaged.
Act Publicly. What does it take for you to maintain credibility with the public?
