Engaging with Users: In person interactions

Themes:
  • Engaging with Users
    • Newsroom:
    Does your community know your organization is invested in its future and well-being? The Tennessean showed their newsroom’s commitment to its community by hosting an event where local residents gathered to think about inequities facing Nashville’s public schools and brainstorm possible solutions. After the event, opinion editor David Plazas wrote a story highlighting key findings from the event and thanked readers for their time and participation. “On behalf of The Tennessean, I am so grateful for the community’s interest and participation,” Plazas wrote.
    Does your community know your organization is invested in its future and well-being? The Tennessean showed their newsroom’s commitment to its community by hosting an event where local residents gathered to think about inequities facing Nashville’s public schools and brainstorm possible solutions. After the event, opinion editor David Plazas wrote a story highlighting key findings from the event and thanked readers for their time and participation. “On behalf of The Tennessean, I am so grateful for the community’s interest and participation,” Plazas wrote.
    Themes:
  • Who are the Journalists?
    • Newsroom:
    While speaking at an Athletes of the Year banquet, Timothy Dwyer, the publisher at The Day, discussed what the paper offers the community, explained it’s funding model, and invited people to support it financially. “Like any other local business, we need your support,” he said. Appearing at in-person events can help the community see the employees of a news organization (the journalists) as real people, which can help build trust.
    While speaking at an Athletes of the Year banquet, Timothy Dwyer, the publisher at The Day, discussed what the paper offers the community, explained it’s funding model, and invited people to support it financially. “Like any other local business, we need your support,” he said. Appearing at in-person events can help the community see the employees of a news organization (the journalists) as real people, which can help build trust.
    Themes:
    We hear from a lot of journalists that they’d like to invite people into their newsrooms. My first reaction is always: yes, please do. But, like other in-person events, doing so takes thought and planning if you want it to be successful. If you just issue a general call-out for visitors, you never know who may show up. You won’t know their concerns or who they are (which also raises safety and security issues). And they most likely all have different complaints or questions, making it hard to have a constructive discussion once you’re all together. But inviting people in can be a really effective way to engage with your audience. More from this edition can be found here and to receive the tips in your inbox each week click here. 
    We hear from a lot of journalists that they’d like to invite people into their newsrooms. My first reaction is always: yes, please do. But, like other in-person events, doing so takes thought and planning if you want it to be successful. If you just issue a general call-out for visitors, you never know who may show up. You won’t know their concerns or who they are (which also raises safety and security issues). And they most likely all have different complaints or questions, making it hard to have a constructive discussion once you’re all together. But inviting people in can be a really effective way to engage with your audience. More from this edition can be found here and to receive the tips in your inbox each week click here. 
    Themes:
  • Engaging with Users
  • Who are the Journalists?
    • I wrote a few weeks ago about the importance of earning trust face to face — how looking into another person’s eyes is more likely to create an authentic connection than an online or phone interaction. I also pointed you to new Pew data, which shows that only 21 percent of Americans have ever spoken with a journalist. (And those interactions are more likely to have happened with younger, less affluent, less educated, non-white people.) More from this edition can be found here and to receive the tips in your inbox each week click here. 
    I wrote a few weeks ago about the importance of earning trust face to face — how looking into another person’s eyes is more likely to create an authentic connection than an online or phone interaction. I also pointed you to new Pew data, which shows that only 21 percent of Americans have ever spoken with a journalist. (And those interactions are more likely to have happened with younger, less affluent, less educated, non-white people.) More from this edition can be found here and to receive the tips in your inbox each week click here. 
    Themes:
  • Who are the Journalists?
    • Newsroom:
    If one of your journalists writes a book about a story they have been working on or produces a documentary, highlight it. Two of WCPO's journalists were involved in publishing a book about "Fiona the Hippo," a local zoo animal that has gone viral. The news organization held a book signing and invited their users. More than 100 people attended the event.
    If one of your journalists writes a book about a story they have been working on or produces a documentary, highlight it. Two of WCPO’s journalists were involved in publishing a book about “Fiona the Hippo,” a local zoo animal that has gone viral. The news organization held a book signing and invited their users. More than 100 people attended the event.
    If one of your journalists writes a book about a story they have been working on or produces a documentary, highlight it. Two of WCPO's journalists were involved in publishing a book about "Fiona the Hippo," a local zoo animal that has gone viral. The news organization held a book signing and invited their users. More than 100 people attended the event.
    If one of your journalists writes a book about a story they have been working on or produces a documentary, highlight it. Two of WCPO’s journalists were involved in publishing a book about “Fiona the Hippo,” a local zoo animal that has gone viral. The news organization held a book signing and invited their users. More than 100 people attended the event.
    Themes:
  • Engaging with Users
    • More than 60 students, teachers and chaperones visited the newsroom of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
    More than 60 students, teachers, and chaperones visited the newsroom of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. It was the first time the newsroom had opened its doors to the public since 2014. During the two and a half hour visit, students helped choose the story for the top of the home page, met photographers, reporters, and editors, and had an opportunity to try their hand at weather and traffic in front of the green screen. The feedback from the visit was overwhelmingly positive and the newsroom shared photos and videos from the event on their Facebook page.
    More than 60 students, teachers and chaperones visited the newsroom of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
    More than 60 students, teachers, and chaperones visited the newsroom of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. It was the first time the newsroom had opened its doors to the public since 2014. During the two and a half hour visit, students helped choose the story for the top of the home page, met photographers, reporters, and editors, and had an opportunity to try their hand at weather and traffic in front of the green screen. The feedback from the visit was overwhelmingly positive and the newsroom shared photos and videos from the event on their Facebook page.
    Themes:
  • Engaging with Users
    • Many news organizations host booths at festivals, but the Fort Worth Star-Telegram staff went a step further.
    Many news organizations host booths at festivals, but the Fort Worth Star-Telegram staff went a step further. On top of showing up at a popular community event and interacting with the public, they decided to also help register people to vote. By being present in the community they allowed people to see them as real people and get to know them better. When people meet journalists and get to know them it can help build trust for the individual journalist, but also the news organization and the journalism industry as a whole.
    Many news organizations host booths at festivals, but the Fort Worth Star-Telegram staff went a step further.
    Many news organizations host booths at festivals, but the Fort Worth Star-Telegram staff went a step further. On top of showing up at a popular community event and interacting with the public, they decided to also help register people to vote. By being present in the community they allowed people to see them as real people and get to know them better. When people meet journalists and get to know them it can help build trust for the individual journalist, but also the news organization and the journalism industry as a whole.
    Themes:
    Screenshot showing invitation details for Jefferson City's Coffee with the Editor event
    The Jefferson City News Tribune took their monthly “Coffee with the Editor” event to a local high school during parent-teacher conferences. This helped them reach a different audience than they normally do: parents, teachers and students. The also passed out information about how to contact the newsroom online, on social media, by email, etc.
    Screenshot showing invitation details for Jefferson City's Coffee with the Editor event
    The Jefferson City News Tribune took their monthly “Coffee with the Editor” event to a local high school during parent-teacher conferences. This helped them reach a different audience than they normally do: parents, teachers and students. The also passed out information about how to contact the newsroom online, on social media, by email, etc.
    Themes:
    Screenshot showing the Facebook invitation for the Jefferson City News Tribune's monthly "Coffee with the editor" events.
    The Jefferson City News Tribune meets their community in coffee shops. The newsroom holds the meetings monthly with the editor and invites reporters to participate as well. They spend time answering questions and getting to know community members. They also make sure to pass out information about how the community can get in touch with them over the phone, on social media or by email.
    Screenshot showing the Facebook invitation for the Jefferson City News Tribune's monthly "Coffee with the editor" events.
    The Jefferson City News Tribune meets their community in coffee shops. The newsroom holds the meetings monthly with the editor and invites reporters to participate as well. They spend time answering questions and getting to know community members. They also make sure to pass out information about how the community can get in touch with them over the phone, on social media or by email.
    Themes:
  • Engaging with Users
    • Newsroom:
    Screenshot from tennessean.com, showing an invitation for more veterans to share their perspectives with the newspaper.
    The staff at the Tennessean set up a “Diversity and Inclusion Task Force.” The group worked on identifying people in the community they wanted to hear more from and then invited them into their newsroom. Those groups included veterans, Muslims and gun owners. A common theme came out of these visits: people wanted to be included in responsible and accurate coverage. For the Tennessean these visits resulted in more sources for stories and more people submitting letters to the editor.
    Screenshot from tennessean.com, showing an invitation for more veterans to share their perspectives with the newspaper.
    The staff at the Tennessean set up a “Diversity and Inclusion Task Force.” The group worked on identifying people in the community they wanted to hear more from and then invited them into their newsroom. Those groups included veterans, Muslims and gun owners. A common theme came out of these visits: people wanted to be included in responsible and accurate coverage. For the Tennessean these visits resulted in more sources for stories and more people submitting letters to the editor.