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‘Media Seeds’ project in SE Ohio seeks to create dialogue and communication tools in media deserts

September 26, 2017 Journalism That Matters

The first image (left) represents the characteristics of media innovations built using the Journalism That Matters model. The second image (right) identifies all Ohio newspaper reaches and 2014 and 2015 opioid deaths. / Photos provided

ATHENS, Ohio (Sept. 25, 2017)—Journalism That Matters (JTM) has received a $150,000 grant to work with residents in regions of Southeast Ohio that lack access to daily, local news and information to design systems for inclusive conversations and community-based decision-making. Led by Dr. Michelle Ferrier, an associate professor in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, the Media Seeds project will help local stakeholders leverage existing community assets and create new, inclusive communication tools.

The Media Seeds: Southeast Ohio Project is funded by the Jefferson Center as part of Your Voice Ohio, a nonpartisan effort to produce more relevant, powerful journalism based on the needs and ambitions of Ohioans and Ohio communities. Your Voice Ohio is supported with grants from the Democracy Fund and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

In addition to working with residents in “media deserts,” JTM will collaborate with Your Voice Ohio to support deep engagement between Ohioans and local news. The media collaboration includes more than two dozen news partners throughout Ohio.

“We’re incredibly excited to be working with Journalism that Matters on this effort to better serve the information needs of more Ohioans,” says Kyle Bozentko, executive director of the Jefferson Center. “JTM’s unique approach will help us learn how communities, especially those lacking a significant traditional media presence, can best access the information they need to thrive.”

Ferrier, the project director, is the former president of JTM and the principal investigator for the Media Deserts Project, a research project that has been mapping media access at the local level in the United States at www.mediadeserts.com. As part of the project’s growing statewide data, Ferrier mapped opioid deaths to the media desert maps of Ohio. The Media Seeds Project will look at geographies hard hit by the opioid epidemic and media deserts. Ferrier is also the chief instigator of the Create or Die gatherings, an innovation collaboration workshop developed with Journalism That Matters. JTM has hosted Create or Die events in Greensboro, North Carolina and in Detroit.

Ferrier has been an advocate for media entrepreneurship and innovation at the local level. “I am committed to working with my neighbors and Ohioans across Southeast Ohio to connect, to imagine a new narrative for Appalachia and to seed communication experiments that serve our communities to thrive,” said Ferrier.

Journalism That Matters is a nonprofit organization that has been bringing together diverse community stakeholders to re-imagine the local news and information ecosystem and the role of journalism in a democracy. For more than 15 years, JTM has supported journalists, technologists, librarians, city planners, investors, media managers and others to shape new storytelling roles and story creating practices that support communities to thrive.

Following two breakthrough journalism and community engagement gatherings in Portland in 2017 and 2015, Journalism that Matters (JTM) released a framework for how journalism and other forms of civic communications interact to support thriving communities. The framework outlines new skills and knowledge to enhance a journalist’s effectiveness in community engagement as well as highlighting ways in which journalists can bring added value to communities as conveners of conversations.

Ferrier and JTM will be employing these practices in the SE Ohio work. Dr. Laura Black, associate professor in the Ohio University School of Communication Studies, will also be a partner on this project.

“JTM has been at the forefront of imagining new roles, new practices and new ways of fostering engagement. We will be employing those principles as part of our work. and re-imagining what it means to have a civic communications ecosystem that is inclusive,” said Ferrier.

Regional residents interested in the project can get more information at http://mediaseeds.wikispaces.com/ and see upcoming programs and regional events.

For more information, contact Dr. Michelle Ferrier, ferrierm@ohio.edu or 740-593-0899.

Journalism That Matters, a Seattle-based nonprofit, has been hosting breakthrough conversations with community and national stakeholders on the emerging news and information ecology. For more information on JTM, visit www.journalismthatmatters.org.

Jefferson Center is a nonprofit organization that partners with citizens, communities, and institutions to design and implement informed, innovative, and democratic solutions to today’s toughest challenges. For more information on our programs and mission, visit jefferson-center.org.

-From staff reports

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Elevate Engagement from Afar

May 16, 2017 Journalism That Matters

Can’t make it out to Portland for Elevate Engagement but still want to plug in from a distance? We’ve lined up a few ways to participate both asynchronously or synchronously.

Twitter – Follow and join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #PDXengage17.
Experience Engagement Facebook Group – Expanding on the Facebook group from our 2015 gathering, we’ll upload photos to this group.

And there will be two distinct sessions that we’ll broadcast live:

Thursday, May 18 at 6 p.m.

Lessons from the Field: Examples of Engaged Journalism – we’ll see some examples of what’s working. Lightning presenters include:

Michelle Holmes, VP Content at al.com/Alabama Media Group
Sarah Alvarez, Founder/Lead Reporter at Outlier Media
Adriana Gallardo, ProPublica
Shannon McGregor, Engaging News Project
Cameron Whitten, Know Your City and Portland’s Resistance
Ashley Alvarado, Public Engagement Manager, KPCC

We’ll be broadcasting this session on Facebook Live and Periscope. Watch this page and #pdxEngage17 Thursday afternoon for more details.

Friday, May 19 at 6:30 p.m.

Rebuilding Trust: Truth to Empower – a conversation among practitioner/scholars from different disciplines. Introduction and moderation by Regina Lawrence, UO-SOJC’s Agora Journalism Center. Conversation catalysts include:

Meredith Clark, University of North Texas
Lewis Friedland, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Eric Gordon, Engagement Lab at Emerson College
Mónica Guzmán, 2016 Nieman Fellow and Cofounder at The Evergrey

We’ll be using an exciting new engagement tool from the creators of Civil Comments: Civil Live. With this new technology, we’ll be able to solicit questions or thoughts from you in advance and in real time. You can join those in the room to upvote the questions and ideas to bring to the conversation. Keep an eye on this page Friday evening.

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Dr. Ferrier appointed president of Journalism That Matters

October 14, 2015 Journalism That Matters

ATHENS, Ohio (Oct. 12, 2015)—The Journalism That Matters (JTM) board elected Dr. Michelle Ferrier, associate dean for innovation, research/creative activity and graduate studies at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University, as president of the organization on Oct. 4, replacing Chris Peck, former editor of the Memphis Appeal and outgoing president of ASNE.

Ferrier has been on the board of JTM for more than five years and has developed new programs for JTM such as the Create or Die series of events in Detroit and Greensboro that birthed media entrepreneurship innovations in those areas and across the United States.

Ferrier will lead one of the nation’s most visionary organizations that for more than 14 years has led conversations helping professionals to navigate the changing role of journalism. A signature approach of JTM has been to bring diverse stakeholders to the table and use unconference practices to foster breakthrough conversations and action.

A former newspaper columnist and managing editor for online communities, Ferrier has been a pioneer in digital media and content/learning management systems. Ferrier is a researcher and practitioner around online communities, hyperlocal online news, media entrepreneurship and online education. Ferrier is also the principal investigator for The Media Deserts Project that examines the changing media ecosystem using geographic information system technologies.

“Journalism that Matters has provided me with a unique perspective on the changing media ecosystem and the role of journalists, technologists, librarians, city planners and others on creating sustainable, local journalism,” said Ferrier. “It has also been a place of restoration for me of the passion and heart of why I got in to journalism,” she said.

“Our goal will continue to be to support those who are birthing the new media ecosystem and provide a space for them to imagine better.”

Ferrier completed a Ph.D. degree in Texts and Technology at the University of Central Florida. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Memphis and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland.

JTM also brought on two additional board directors: Mike Green and Jackie Hai. Green is co-founder of ScaleUp Partners a consultancy serving local leaders in the innovation economy. Hai is a multimedia artist and educator teaching at Arizona State University in Phoenix.

“JTM got its start when Chris Peck asked what it would take to have a national conversation about the future of journalism,” says JTM Executive Director and co-founder, Peggy Holman. “My thanks to Chris for his early and continued support. We wouldn’t exist without his vision. Our future is in good hands with Michelle Ferrier. She’s been a great contributor and partner since she first got involved. I’m excited to work with Michelle, Mike, and Jackie as we enter a new era of supporting communities and journalists to thrive together.”

Cross-posted from https://www.ohio.edu/scrippscollege/newsevents/news-story.cfm?newsItem=A8B6BD3F-5056-A81E-8D088B9AAC0CD480

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Why I’m thankful for Journalism That Matters

April 30, 2014 Linda Fantin

Today marks the sixth anniversary of my first Journalism That Matters “unconference,” a four-day mashup of journalists, technologists and venture capitalists held at Yahoo! headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif.

At the time, I had recently walked away from a job as an established newspaper reporter to nurture a public media startup, American Public Media’s Public Insight Network (PIN). The NewsTools 2008 gathering introduced me to a spirited community of entrepreneurs, many in their own states of transition, all working to fuel a “do more with more” ecology for news.

Since that time, this community — our community — has enriched me professionally and personally. Every JTM event I’ve attended (and there have been many) taught me something new, expanded my network and helped me grow in my role. I’ve served on advisory boards, forged meaningful collaborations, expanded PIN’s sphere of influence, and made wonderful friends — all through my association with JTM. A few months ago, I was thrilled to be invited to join the JTM board of directors.

It’s about time I said thank you.

That’s why today, I made a $250 donation to JTM. It’s long overdue support for an organization that has long supported me and, more importantly, the future of journalism.

If you, too, have benefited from JTM, I hope you will consider making a similar investment. It’s super easy to do from the JTM website.

I still have the purple Yahoo! notebook from the Sunnyvale confab. It’s filled with names, and notes on topics like disintermediated journalism, diversifying your sources, bridging the digital divide, and the Creator Economy.

It’s an artifact, but it’s also evidence our work is unfinished.

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Stories for Navigating the Waves of Change

February 10, 2014 Peggy Holman 1 Comment

How can journalists discern what stories are most useful for helping us navigate through turbulent times?

One way to decide is by understanding the roles people play in changing times. I recently described some key roles on the Seapoint Center leadership blog. In brief:

Stabilizers maintain the old systems and structures, for better and worse.

Originators experiment with a range of ideas, from the hair-brained to the brilliant.

Adapted from Berkana Institute’s Two Loops Theory of Change

These two roles are immersed in the shifting waves of change, caught up in two primary and conflicting forces: maintaining the old and inventing the new. Three other roles work with these forces:

Hospice workers help us to mourn what is dying.

Midwives help launch innovations.

Wave riders assist us in transitioning between old and new cultural narratives.

Journalists can help us appreciate the contributions of people performing each of these roles. They can honor legacies and illuminate values that still endure, even as they report on the shortcomings of failing institutions . They can extend the reach of promising innovations, giving us hope for the future and more ability to embrace the unfamiliar. Through telling these stories, journalists support hospice workers and midwives by bringing their work to a larger, and ideally more diverse audience.

Perhaps most critical, journalists can help us through change by being wave riders themselves, making sense of the shifting narratives of our times through the stories they tell. For example, central to journalism’s traditional narrative is “giving voice to the voiceless” and “holding the powerful accountable”. While this narrative still informs journalism, through its convenings among the diverse players in the changing news and information ecosystem, JTM has tracked shifts in journalism’s narrative.

While by no means definitive, the table below is a snapshot of recent observations informed by conversations among JTM participants. I suspect that we are years from a well-functioning news and information ecosystem. Still, we are seeing glimpses of emerging patterns.

Journalism’s narrative…
Traditional	Emerging
Journalism is about the public good.	Journalism is still about the public good. And now it is entrepreneurial.
News organizations have a large influence on a community’s cultural narrative.	Communities take primary responsibility for their cultural narrative. One strategy: embed journalists in the community.
News organizations are institutions that bring credibility.	News organizations are of all shapes and sizes. Some bring credibility. Some bring heart. Collaborations bring us the best of both.
Independence brings stories focused on problems, winners/losers, and scarcity.	Independence within interdependence brings engagement in diverse community that leads to stories focused on possibilities, adaptation, and abundance.
Unless it is an editorial, no advocacy. Period.	Advocacy for a better world (e.g. better education, environment, health care, governance) without attachment to specific solutions.
Stories delivered via print, broadcast, and online.	Stories delivered via print, broadcast, online, social media, hip-hop, video games, and other means.

By putting a name to what is changing, stories give us a chance to consider what endures from the past that is still relevant and what we wish to embrace that wasn’t possible before. Naming provides language for conversations about changing perspectives and their implications to the practice of journalism. Where do you see yourself in these shifts? What do the changes mean for you and your work?

What if journalists characterized changing assumptions for education, healthcare, governance, or other systems they care about? How might that spark conversations about underlying beliefs and assumptions? How could it lead to greater understanding of the tensions among people in the system and in the process, cultivate greater understanding, compassion and creativity in changing times?

What are the stories you can tell that help us navigate through change?

*****

Changing Stories in Journalism

For more than a decade, JTM has tracked the narrative of journalism through the conversations it has hosted among diverse groups of people involved with news and information.

Created originally for NewsTools 2008 in Silicon Valley, the two value network maps below highlight shifts in key roles and exchanges in the news and information ecosystem.

The charts of changing views that follow were compiled between 2006 and 2009. They still stimulate rich conversations about the changing story of journalism.