So You Want to be a Social Journalist?
Talk less. Listen more.
When I decided to attend the CUNY J-School to pursue my Masters in Social Journalism, a new degree that aims to reinvent journalism as a service rather than a product, I had no idea how much time I would spend listening.
While this seems like a simple skill on the surface, it is often something that we as journalists (and even as humans) don’t do enough. When journalism is considered a product to be sold, the wants and the needs of its intended community are only thought of after the product is released. Pre-social journalism, journalists would often wait for reactions from their audience once a piece was published in order to determine if it was successful or not. Social Journalism seeks to change that — instead of waiting for a community to listen to us, we listen to them.
When I first started working with Wire the Wise, a program that pairs young professionals and senior citizens for one-on-one technology lessons, I listened. I asked our seniors and young professionals a variety of questions about technology and interacting with others from a different generation, and then I listened some more. After spending weeks and months listening and experiencing these face-to-face interactions, I was able to uncover the following themes from both our senior citizens (Wise) and young professionals (Wired):
Seniors learn best from young professionals who are patient and are able to validate and appreciate the needs of the senior they are working with: “I needed a calm, helpful, very bright person who didn’t treat me like, ‘There’s this old lady who is never going to learn.’ He really was comforting, but also helpful. I liked him a lot. He was really good.” -Sondra Lewis, 81 years old
There is a vocabulary barrier between seniors and their use of technology: “The whole vocabulary is still strange to me, and just learning all that. Because when they send you a message about the iCloud. Well, you know, I didn’t even know what the iCloud was. So, now I know what it is. So, you have to learn a whole vocabulary. And your brain has to work a little faster. It’s like learning rap, you know, when you’re used to music of the 50’s, so it’s not easy.” -Peggy Becker, 81 years old
Young professionals want to teach technology, but they also enjoy learning from seniors: “But after working with Peggy it was really interesting and fun to get to know her, just not about her computer and technical issues but to get to know a little bit about her life as a person. It’s always interesting learning about other people, especially people that grew up in different generations than you.” -George Love, 31 years old
Not only is Wire the Wise a passion project for me personally and something I deeply believe in, but it is also a program that is in need of investment. The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that the population of adults over the age of 85 could double to 84 million people by 2020. In addition, a report from the Consumer Technology Association shows that the active aging market represented a $24.4 billion market opportunity in 2015 and is expected to grow to $42.7 billion in 2020.
In order for aging generations to live longer, healthier lives, they need to feel connected.
According to a 2012 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, both social isolation and loneliness are linked to a higher risk of mortality for those age 52 and older. For so many of us, our physical interactions with one another are just as valuable as our digital ones.
At Wire the Wise, we value both of these connections equally, which is why we host free public events and provide bagels and coffee for our seniors and young professionals. We know that social interaction is important, but we also want to spend time teaching seniors in our community the value of technology and how it can be beneficial in their lives and their connections with loved ones.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned while listening to the issues surrounding this community is that seniors really need one-on-one help when learning technology. Not only that, but we know that our seniors and young professionals thrive when they can learn from one another. When you bring two communities together that don’t typically get the chance to interact on a daily basis, it is amazing to see the types of relationships and meaningful conversations that can form as a result.
What our community says about our work:
- “I learned to do a lot of stuff! YouTube, messaging, email, camera, but the most important thing today is I met three young, wonderful persons: Yuni, Jonathan and Sam who shared their talent and knowledge of computer.” Rosenie Montalvo, Chelsea Recreation Center Senior
- “I learned how important it is to have intergenerational chats.” Gladys Nursimbraw, DOROT Senior
- “Thanks for a great opportunity to connect and help the community!” Nicole Haydt, Chelsea Recreation Center Volunteer
- “My experience was great! Working with Gerald was very rewarding. He was pleasant, kind, motivated and fun to work with/share experiences with. Thanks for the opportunity.” Moshe Klausner, Greenwich Village Volunteer
Because I was able to listen to the needs of my community first, I was not only able to serve them better, but I was also able to create products, or deliverables, based on those needs.
Deliverables:
30 Wire the Wise events at locations throughout New York City
Wire the Wise Code of Ethics
10 Medium posts in Wise Words publication
A Wise Guide to Facebook
I know what you’re thinking. And yes, all of this happened because I chose to listen to my community first in order to find out what they really need. And I’m not alone. Check out what my other classmates have been listening to here.
To follow Wire the Wise on our journey, click here.
