Trust-building is a slow and intense process, and it can’t be achieved over an election cycle that promises increased partisanship, divisiveness and continuing erosion of democracy. It can be even more challenging to engage communities with low trust in mainstream media.
How do you interview people who believe conspiracy theories, righteously share misinformation and profess to hate the media? Can you frame questions in a way that avoids loaded words? And what if no one in the community will talk to you?
“It all starts with authentic efforts to listen to members of your community,” said Letrell Crittenden, API director of inclusion and audience growth. “Put down the notepads, the phones, and start simply listening to the concerns people have. If they have criticism, listen to that too. In many cases, news teams have caused real harm in communities, either through poor reporting practices or neglect. Just like you have to put in time, effort and humility to rebuild a struggling personal relationship you need to do the same with your community members. It’s not going to be easy, but it is necessary for democracy to thrive.” Here's more advice:
✅ If you begin with questions that acknowledge the lack of trust in media (“What do journalists often get wrong about you or things in your life?”) you can gradually build to the issue you’re there to cover. Check out this list of questions from Trusting News on guiding tense, complicated conversations.
✅ Don’t come off as dismissive when you encounter someone with a firm belief in a conspiracy theory. Instead, consider why the person believes in something that seems nonsensical to you. As much as you may want to ignore conspiracies, it would be irresponsible to do so. Here’s how to responsibly cover those false beliefs.
✅ Avoid labeling issues and actions as “red” and “blue” because they’re often more nuanced than that. And don’t hesitate to point out intra-party disagreements where they exist — on abortion rights, the Jan. 6 investigation or whether a past president can store confidential records in his home.
✅ Ensure your journalism isn’t extractive when reporting on vulnerable or underserved communities by following this list of rules developed at the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Journalism Ethics.
✅ Prioritize local voices. Media researchers have made a case for local-only opinion pages that include reader-submitted letters and regular local guest columnists. Here’s how to start.
More resources:
- Repairing community relationships, and how to talk to people — all of them.
- Add these four strategies to your election reporting to tell your audience why they can trust you.
- Review this anti-polarization checklist when reporting on contentious topics.
- Read more about how wording, ballot format and local news coverage can influence voters.
No comments:
Post a Comment