‘Audience engagement’ is the hot new thing in journalism; but most journalists are pursuing it without understanding the risks – for the community and for the newsroom – of inviting the audience into a conversation. What happens when people who aren’t used to being sources to share a sensitive, deeply personal story? What happens when we reach out to communities for information, but don’t stick around to answer questions or address concerns? How do we build trust authentically, without resorting to a journalistic sleight of hand to get reluctant sources to talk?
We urgently need to establish ethical frameworks around this work, or we risk further erosion of trust in journalism, and could even be endangering people’s lives.
In this interactive session, some of journalism’s top experts in community practice will guide you through moral quandaries around community engagement based on real-world situations. We’ll explore some of the ambiguities and inequalities at the heart of audience engagement, and share tips and strategies for creating ethical guidelines, both for yourself and your newsroom.
Suggested Speaker(s)
- Sydette Harry (@blackamazon)
Editor at Large, The Coral Project - Summer Fields (@sumjazfi)
Engagement Consultant, Hearken