NewsBeat

July 2023 NewsBeat 10 JOURNALISM: Continued from Page 9 6) People want journalists to ask their questions. People want information exchange, not just consumption. It's just as import- ant to them that reporters spend time in local neighborhoods to learn from local residents, as it is for reporters to inform residents. They see it as journalists' jobs to ask their questions to the powers that be, to represent their concerns, and to report the angles they care about. Residents in most markets we studied told us stories about reporters who ignored or dismissed them, or took their tips to the same few sources often quoted in news media for corroboration, allowing a handful of individuals to speak on behalf of entire communities. People also often pointed to the more mundane stories that don't get covered; they said they want journalists to care when their trash doesn't get collected. 7) People want information they can act on. One of the most common things we hear is that people want actionable information. People don't just want education policy sto- ries—they want to know, step by step, how they're supposed to choose programs for their children and get them in; they don't want journalists to just tell stories about local disasters, they want to know how to access basic services to survive those disasters; and alongside reporting about in- justice in the criminal justice system, they also want information about what exactly to expect if they have to go to court. People want to know how they can engage in their own communities, support local business- es, where to find activities for their chil- dren, and how to get jobs and housing. While many news organizations do some amount of service journalism, or "news you can use," most outlets dedicated to service are focused on arts and culture content, and none of the markets had comprehen- sive libraries of verified and tested infor- mation about everyday information needs. 8) People want the news to meet them where they are. In every market there is a segment of what our research team refers to as "high-information" news consumers, or people who are actively interested in seek- ing out journalism and to be informed. Often, these are people who need local news for their work, or are part of a small but highly civically engaged segment of the population. Whether they have positive or negative perceptions of their local media outlets, this segment reads the newspapers available to them, listens to public radio, subscribes to newsletters, etc. But they aren't representative of the majority. It's notable that even in the largest markets we've researched, with some of the largest local newsrooms in the country, the local papers of record have circulations that are a tiny fraction of the overall population. Many people we spoke to in community listening acknowledge their own reticence to seek out local newspapers or news sites is part of the problem, but say the reali- ty is that they need news to fit into their routines and media consumption habits. People say they don't have the time or incli- nation to seek local news out if the infor- mation isn't served to them on a platform they already use, in a format they like. And yes, that means email, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, NextDoor, Citizen, and even messaging platforms such as Whatsapp, WeChat, KakaoTalk, and text messaging groups. 9) People want newsrooms to play a role in connecting and convening commu- nities. People want to feel more connected to their local neighborhoods, and often say they feel their communities are little under- stood by others in the regions where they live. Many say they view local news as a vehicle through which they can learn about other people who live near them, or who have identities and experiences they know little about. And they wish they had more information about how they can participate in more activities in their neighborhoods. Note: Our research isn't statistically rel- evant—we do broad outreach with a focus on reaching as many different experience communities as possible, with a special focus on ensuring we hear from people who aren't easily reached through usual chan- nels. Our findings are a qualitative synthe- sis that improves as we talk to more people in more markets. To learn more about how you can conduct a listening study in your community, reach out to us. Loretta Chao is vice president of strat- egy and startups at the American Jour- nalism Project. Find her on Twitter at @ LorettaChao. This article appeared on the American Journalism Project website on May 23, 2023, and has been republished with permission. All graphics in this article are owned by AJP and have been used with permission.

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