5 things an individual journalist can do daily to tap into the knowledge of readers

I just posted an article about how journalist publications could win the trust of the audience and tap into their knowledge by working with them.

Many of the nine recommendations in that article have to be implemented at board room level, so there’s a big chance that any change will take years.

What can an individual journalist do in the meantime?

These five recommendations are also featured in the main article, but I’m posting them separately here so it’s easier to share within your organization:

1. Announce the stories you’re working on, using an external blog if need be, or with a screenshot of your Notes app on Twitter. Give readers the chance to contribute to your work while you’re still in the research stage.
2. Find your readers. Share your calls for reader input with academics, experts in the field, NGOs and other organizations. Make use of relevant LinkedIn or Facebook groups, for instance. And ask specific questions!
3. Share your best practices and your successes with colleagues. One of the best things about interaction with readers is that you get direct feedback, which you can then use to convince others of the value of interaction.
4. Does your publication have a comments section? Spend some time posting there. Your colleagues may think you’re crazy, but keep it up. After a while, you’ll see that the reader comments under your articles are of a much higher quality that elsewhere on the site.
5. Tell your manager you consider diversity important in your sources, and ask how much time you can free up each day to that end. Use that time to interact with readers, and don’t forget to share your successes with your manager.

Have questions? Let’s talk on Twitter! I’m @ejpfauth.