Engagement
Year in review: How RJI continues to work with, and for, journalists
Eight ways RJI helped newsrooms like yours in 2020 It doesn’t happen every year, but when the unexpected discovery becomes a bit of a trend at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, it’s a good year. And that it happened in 2020, which, for the most part, has been a tough year, is especially good. … Continued
Journalism outlets need new social media policies
What should they look like? The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Reynolds Journalism Institute or the University of Missouri. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette journalist Alexis Johnson was barred from protest coverage after joking about a Kenny Chesney concert on Twitter. She tweeted: “Horrifying … Continued
Answering reader questions builds trust and becomes the foundation of our community and newsletter
In the coming year, we hope to grow our efforts in multiple ways, specifically to reach new communities and publish in more languages. Two weeks ago we published our third reader generated story. Readers of our WhatsApp group were regularly reaching out to send us photos of housing court documents that they had received, which … Continued
The insults “stupid, fat, ugly” are just another day at work
The insults that hurt the most are those that imply that Latina journalists don’t belong in the news space “I have got accustomed that they call me ugly, fat, whore, stupid Puerto Rican, the N word. I’m used to the threats that they will rape me or beat me,”says Helen Ubiñas, a Boricua born in … Continued
Narrated article: Winter tips to stay safe and warm
This month for Innovation in Focus we tested various tools and platforms to provide narration for articles to make them more accessible. Listen to this article narrated: https://soundcloud.com/pili-swanson/narrated-article Here are some tips to staying healthy, safe and warm this winter season as the temperatures begin to drop. The CDC has COVID-19 tips for holiday gatherings, … Continued
RJI announces finalists for annual student innovation competition
10 teams from across U.S. to help newsrooms connect with audiences
Instagram Reels: Q&A with Anthony Quintano
For Innovation in Focus this month I experimented with Instagram Reels and spoke with social media manager Anthony Quintano about Instagram Reels and how it compares to TikTok so far. He is currently a manager of visual storytelling and has trained journalists on how to use social media since 2010 at NBC, Recode and Honolulu Civil Beat. … Continued
![In this photo from June 2020, Lincoln Rust, left, and Anthony Catteruccia [not shown] made this mural on the Wisconsin Veterans Museum following the George Floyd protests. | Photo: John Hart, State Journal](https://rjionline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/11/floydmural01.jpg)
Narrative change: Designing conversations for an inclusive economy
The sustainability of local journalism is tied to the strength of local business and both have been rocked by a deadly pandemic and roused by nationwide rallies for racial equity. In developing blueprints for an equitable post-pandemic recovery, communities have a critical opportunity to address the role of local media in creating a more accurate … Continued
How to find diverse sources
A lot of the work has already been done The evidence is overwhelming that lack of diversity and inclusion in journalism not only perpetuates stereotypes and media distrust, but also limits which stories get told, how they are told, and whose voices are heard. Based on the pre-training survey responses, many reporters believe including diverse … Continued
How to write a newsletter about the dead
“For me, it’s knowing I’m going to learn something interesting (also potentially important, alarming, life-saving, funny, depending on the newsletter.)”