Global Investigative Journalism Network (https://gijn.org/tag/engagement/)
When journalists practice transparency around their processes, their goals, and their values, news consumers tend to respond positively — and sometimes, they even spend more money on journalism. That was the case with an experiment that Trusting News ran with PolitiFact.
You don’t need a million casual readers — just 1,000 committed ones. And there are signs that the “1,000 true fans” theory holds approximately true across a wide range of journalism enterprises — sometimes it’s actually a thousand; other times it’s 400, 1,500, or 5,000.
Crowdsourcing is a powerful tool for journalism. It can help fuel reporting, provide answers, and engage community participation. Jess Ramirez, who works as an engagement reporting fellow at ProPublica, lists the questions you can ask yourself when approaching an engagement project.
Watchdog workshops can be a good way for media organizations to get a bit of help with investigations — but also, crucially, they foster engagement. Here’s how Detroit’s Detour brought readers together to investigate bulk buyers in a local tax auction.
There are no silver bullets, no hard-and-fast rules, no magic answers to running a membership-driven news organization. It takes a lot of effort, coordination and putting members at the core of everything. Media consultant Tim Griggs shares 10 essential ingredients for making it work.
Sustainable revenue and audience trust are two of the biggest challenges faced by media organizations all over the world — and neither are getting any easier. Engaging with audiences is one way to address these two interconnected issues. In the latest addition to GIJN’s Resource Center, Emily Goligoski brings to bear her experience as research director for the Membership Puzzle Project to explain various forms of audience engagement.
By Emily Goligoski
Curious about what your readers think? What audience members know and want to learn from you? If not, you should be. Learning what supporters of independent news need can help you improve your coverage and grow your revenue. As Dimitris Xenakis from Greece’s Inside Story recently told journalists: “To rebuild trust, it is necessary to engage readers.
The Brazilian version of The Intercept is carving a solid spot for itself in the country’s journalism landscape. With a focus on human rights abuses, police violence and politics, The Intercept Brasil’s investigations have attracted a young audience and an unexpected amount of donations, its executive editor tells GIJN.
Newsrooms are increasingly embracing newsletters as they seek to engage and grow their audiences. But there’s more than one way to tackle the form. Here’s a behind-the-scenes peek at what goes into creating newsletters for nonprofit newsrooms that explore single-subject issues, like education or gun violence.
Paywalls, live events, special print editions, paid newsletters, the list goes on. From new editorial products to exclusive experiences, news organizations of all types and sizes are looking for new revenue streams. Paula Montañà Tor offers six questions that you should consider before launching a membership program.
