These newsrooms are testing strategies to combat polarization and build trust
At Trusting News, we’ve been asking some big questions about how journalists can be part of the solution to fractured and polarized communities.
In our journey to answer these questions and find solutions, we’re launching two additional projects through our Pluralism Network. These projects will focus on how journalists can invest in listening and better reflect the complexity of their communities. (Read more about our Pluralism Network and what we’ve been working on so far.)
We’re excited for the journalists from 15 newsrooms collaborating with the Trusting News staff and research team to test strategies in order to build on this knowledge before the midterm elections.
A big thanks to the following journalists. We couldn’t do this work without dedicated newsrooms willing to collaborate and experiment!
- Alexandra Smith; The 19th
- Darby Hinkley; The Alpena News
- Alison Gerber, Allison Shirk, Ricky Young; Chattanooga Times Free Press
- Peter Huoppi; The Day
- Didi Prambadi, Indonesian Lantern Media
- Sara Konrad Baranowski, Justin Ites, Matthew Rezab; Iowa Falls Times Citizen
- Robin Tate Rockel; IPB News
- Layne Stracener; Jefferson City News Tribune
- Josh Valiquette; Ohio Center for Journalism
- Bill Turque, Emilie Stigliani; Sacramento Bee
- Annelise Pierce, Marc Dadigan; Shasta Scout
- Tena Tyler, Brendan Lyons; Albany Times Union
- Brittany Harlow; Verified News Network
- Jo Ann Livingston; The Waxahachie Sun
- Andy Pierrrotti, WXIA/NBC Atlanta
Here are the two projects we’re focusing on:
Anti-polarization checklist
We want to know what strategies or tools can help editors assess whether individual stories are reflecting their communities with complexity and fueling curiosity, and which might be contributing to polarization. We’ll collaboratively use and edit a checklist designed to help editors pause to consider a story’s impact and then make appropriate edits before publishing.
Outreach to low-trust community members
How can newsrooms incorporate outreach efforts with maximum impact and efficiency while learning about the needs and perceptions of people with low trust in news? Participating journalists will identify segments of their community that typically have low trust in news and reach out to people in those communities every week. We’ll analyze both what they learn and how they made time for the work.
We plan to wrap up this work in July. Then, we’ll collect what we’ve learned so that newsroom-tested strategies and best practices can be shared with the industry before the midterm elections.
If you’d like to join our Pluralism Network, learn more and apply here.
Keep up with what we’re learning
The best way to stay in the loop with what we’re learning is to follow us on Twitter and sign up for our weekly Trust Tips newsletter.
And, if you have questions or want to chat more, feel free to reach out to our team on Twitter or via email at info@trustingnews.org.
Check out previously shared resources and learnings from our Road to Pluralism initiative on these topics:
- explaining and editing wire content
- opinion labeling and descriptions
- corrections policies and practices
- diversifying staff with an interview guide for hiring managers
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. We’re co-hosted by the Reynolds Journalism Institute and the American Press Institute. Subscribe to our Trust Tips newsletter. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Read more about our work at TrustingNews.org.
