Activities at JTM, JTM News

Exciting new partnership to engage diverse communities

Journalism that Matters has partnered with the American Society of News Editors (ASNE) to launch a new initiative to help its member organizations engage diverse communities that they have struggled to reach in the past. header_logo.png

The project grew out of the ASNE Diversity Committee and the organization’s 2012 report, “The Future of Diversity in the News.”

“Diversity must go beyond being a goal. It must become an act,” said the report. “It will require a more strategic approach to identifying and then serving diverse audiences. New technological communication tools must be employed. More sophisticated distribution channels will be essential.”

The key components of this innovative effort:

1. ASNE and JTM will conduct a series of “proof of concept” community-based conversations about the news and information needs of diverse communities. These conversations will involve collaboration with community partners, as well as journalism schools and other journalism organizations.

2. Insights and practical takeaways from the community-based conversations, including templates or models for conducting future conversations in other communities, will be available in the online learning hub. The hub will also support an ongoing exchange among participants for shared learning across sites, answering such questions as why do it? And how do we get started?

3. Progress to date will be shared through an interactive program that mirrors some of the community engagement strategies at the joint ASNE/APME 2014 convention. The programs will also be offered for conventions of other journalism organizations. The purpose of the interactive programs is to inspire attendees to launch their own community-based conversations and participate in the learning hub to report their progress and learn from others.

We’ll have more information about this project in the coming year, but if you have a community you’d like to suggest for the “proof of concepts” or would like to get involved in any way, please contact JTM Board Member and ASNE Diversity Committee Co-Chair Mike Fancher.