Engagement
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
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
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 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.)”
When should you think about unpublishing? Before you publish in the first place.
It may be time to revisit basic editorial practices in your newsroom.
What’s next for Documented Semanal, a WhatsApp newsletter
When the pandemic began, we, like many other organizations, worked quickly to respond to all of the pressing needs of our readers. Tens of thousands of NeW Yorkers were suddenly left jobless and afraid of getting sick. We knew financial relief and organizations seeking to help were out there, but many residents did not know … Continued
Kapwing: Tips and tricks
This month I tested Kapwing Studio, a free online editing tool where users can make videos and GIFs with original news content for social platforms. Overall, my experience with Kapwing was positive. I set out to utilize Kapwing’s tools to create factual guide videos for Missouri voters for RJI’s social feeds. I experimented with various features … Continued
The why of source diversity and inclusive storytelling
Last year, I wrote a feature story for The Hechinger Report about the obstacles students of color face when trying to get into graduate school. I interviewed Black, Asian and Latino students, professors and education experts. When I wrote about the prevalence of skin cancer in Black and Latinos, I used real people and expert sources of color.
Turns out there’s a few things about obituaries that need re-thinking
Obituaries are a lot of things.
They’re a legal notice of death. They’re the story of a life. They’re a tool for grieving. And they’re a business.
In taking on one kind of obituary – the story – for this fellowship, I constantly bump into all the other forms.