JournaList!
The Problem
Distrust in journalism is at an all time high, as the perception of bias in the media grows. According to a Gallup/Knight Foundation Survey, 62% of Americans believe that “the news they see on television, read in newspapers and hear on the radio is biased.” Furthermore, 80% of Americans estimate that the news they see on social media is biased. The survey concluded that “perceptions of bias certainly do not help foster confidence in the news media.” It’s not only bias that contributes to a lack of trust. According to a 2018 Pew Research Center study, about three-quarters of newsroom employees are non-Hispanic white, compared with about two-thirds of all U.S. workers. This lack of diversity in newsrooms means that stories about people of color are consistently underreported and misreported in the media, which also contributes to a lack of trust among these groups. When people lose confidence in the mainstream media, they are pushed to using alternative news sources that are unreliable and which lack credibility. This leads to a less and misinformed citizenry, which can have dire consequences for democracy. As journalists, we must find a way to regain that trust. Rather than double-down on the objectivity of yore, we must turn to an increased transparency between journalists and citizens by fostering a connection that has been lost.
The Solution
Our website JournaList, would provide a space where journalists, both big and small, can easily access people that would be interested in lending their perspective on relevant issues of discourse.
For example, if someone were to write an article on single moms in Boston, they would be able to make a blog post asking for any single mothers in the area who would be interested in being a part of the article. This would not only bridge the gap between journalists and the general public, but also work to authentically represent a lot of people groups that tend to be unheard or micro represented.
JournaList! will be available in multiple languages, and to avoid any false identities or trifling figures those willing to participate would have to verify their background information in order to be eligible for interviewing. The idea is to create a safe space for both journalists and citizens to reach out and connect with one another.
Statement of Change
There’s a noticeable disconnect and distrust between journalism and the general public. Articles are continuously being written about the lives of marginalized groups, but their actual voices aren’t heard and felt. Beyond wanting everyone’s voice to be heard, we want to break down the current division between the public and the media and make sure the public never feels excluded from works of journalism. Bringing openness and honesty back to journalism is the first step in repairing the public’s relationship with journalism and the media, and journaList! is hoping that by providing a resource for both the public and journalists that it will bring about understanding and connection in this turbulent era of the media. We also hope to influence other news stations and companies to pursue a similar idea with the same goal in mind. Now more than ever, representation matters and so does your voice.
Resources
Outtakes
- For upcoming journalists, they’ll be required to have training on what is bias, what to do when they’re faced with bias and how to avoid implementing it into their work. They’ll have to recognize their own bias and learn how they can write stories without using any bias. Over time, they’ll be required to continually go through training to analyze bias as they continue their career. The purpose of this is to make journalists aware of their own biases and how they can work around them in their work. This would also help limit the amount of bias that is in journalism and make it more trustworthy to the readers.
- There could be implicit bias testing for journalists, where they would take the Harvard Implicit Association Test or something like it. This would be before they start writing. If they were talking about a certain topic where they’re clearly biased, they could work together with another journalist and be upfront about their bias. Maybe one journalist, without knowing it, is slightly biased towards the LGBTQ+ community. If they had to cover a pride event they would get another journalist to work with them and be honest about their bias.
- One idea would be to create an app where you could look up any journalist and read a profile that contains a short biography and an overview of their opinions/stances on certain topics (ex. abortion, gun-control, etc.). The profile could be submitted by journalists themselves, or cultivated through information submissions that would be fact-checked and verified for accuracy. This app could even partner with newspapers for increased transparency. You could simply click on the journalist’s name or picture and it would take you to the app where you would be able to read their profile.
- A website where people are able to be better connected to journalists so they can lend their insight and perspective on different topics/discussions. Sort of like a “Craigslist” for journalists.
The Team
