Oklahoma’s investment in the statewide news ecosystem has huge potential
At Trusting News, we inspire and empower journalists to evolve their practices in order to actively earn trust. We want to change how journalism is done.
But the big-picture goal isn’t to change journalism. The real point is for news consumers to be better served.
Our vision: All people should have access to — and be able to identify — journalism that works to earn their trust, is responsive to their needs and reflects their diverse priorities and values. In a world in which news consumers are confused and exhausted by information, responsible journalists should be transparent and proactive about why they are worthy of trust.
That’s why our team is so excited to be involved in the Oklahoma Media Center’s ecosystem work. The OMC has invested in statewide research to study how well served Oklahomans feel by the news, and they’re following it up with training and financial support for 12 newsrooms.
Researchers looked at Oklahoma’s cities and at small towns. They asked questions about how informed people feel, what news sources they turn to, what they feel is missing, and what problems they see with the news they’re offered.
I joined the project because all involved wanted to equip Oklahoma journalists to act on the insights. Research like this shouldn’t just fall into the “boy, that’s interesting” bucket. It should provide marching orders to any journalist who wants to address the factors getting in the way of a stronger relationship with the people they aim to serve.
I came up with a list of themes I most hoped the journalists would address, and I took it with me to Oklahoma in September, when I met with representatives from 30 Oklahoma media organizations.
Next: newsroom projects and trainings
The next step is kicking off now. Twelve newsrooms have been selected to receive grant funding from Inasmuch Foundation to invest in projects based on the research results. I’ll be providing training and coaching to those 12 newsrooms through March.
Imagine if this were replicated around the country! Imagine if journalists had access to insights about how they could improve their public service combined with capacity-building funding to change in direct response to those insights.
Oklahoma is a fantastic place to start. Here’s are two fun facts about the Sooner State:
- Oklahomans, like folks around the middle of the country, feel very disconnected from and ignored by national media and national political narratives.
- No single county in Oklahoma has voted for a Democratic candidate for president since Al Gore in 2000. In the last five presidential elections, every single county has voted Republican.
As a national conversation takes place about the need for robust local news, projects like this can play a vital role in providing insights that can inform the direction our industry takes.
And as we look at how political leanings influence people’s relationship to the news, more understanding of what’s happening in places like Oklahoma are crucial. As I wrote in Trust Tips newsletter a few weeks ago, we are losing the trust of independents, not just Republicans.
One more fun fact: I lived in Oklahoma from seventh grade through college. I am a proud product of Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa and of the University of Oklahoma. The day of training we shared in September took place in a classroom across the street from where I became a journalist and led my student newsroom, OU Daily, through coverage of the Oklahoma City bombing.
My interest in this project is personal as well as professional. And I can’t wait to see what we all learn.
At Trusting News, we learn how people decide what news to trust and turn that knowledge into actionable strategies for journalists. We train and empower journalists to take responsibility for demonstrating credibility and actively earning trust through transparency and engagement. Subscribe to our Trust Tips newsletter. Follow us on X/Twitter and LinkedIn. Read more about our work at TrustingNews.org.
