Including your audience in your investigation

Sharon McNary, So. Calif. Public Radio & American Public Media

Mary Hartney, The Baltimore Sun

What community/social media specialists are doing

• Helping build local site traffic• Connecting readers and journalists• Finding new audiences/groups that aren't

typical users• Using social media to do outreach and

spread journalism across platforms  

Public Insight Journalism Partners with the public to inform the news We promise:• No spam, fundraising or marketing• Nothing published or aired w/o

permission• Journalism use only  

PIJ: Ask questions

Ask questions: A few that are focused...

Ask questions: Most open-ended

These questions seek experience rather than opinions.Ask about changes -- personal, community, financial.Open topic -- what else to consider, who else to call?

   

Store the insights in searchable form

Get public insight into your journalism

Good for: • Breaking news -- Bridge collapse; Wall St. collapse• Blog posts or talk shows• Character for a column or feature• Find community commentary authors• Testing a hunch, story ideas to follow up• Move background sources into on-record• Coverage stream proposal or series• Crowdsourcing -- getting eyes in many places• Populating focus groups and community forums• Find surprising angles on the news• Discover stories that are off your radar

   

Public sourcing/reporting:

Public input: NYTimes Souter-Picker

Public sourcing: NPR Morning Edition

Social networks: What's in it for you?• Make yourself available to readers and the

community• Explain what you cover and be transparent• Get tips• Follow sources, politicians and

organizations

Build your following

• Thank new followers• Start a conversation• The language of following and friending• Find others to follow using search tools and

specialized Web sites • Follow others' followers

search.twitter.com

Twellow.com

Localtweeps.com

Nearbytweets.com

happn.in

happn.in Baltimore

Interview your network via e-mailDIY: Use a Google Docs form

DIY network: Google Docs form

DIY network: Results spreadsheet in Google Docs

Doing outreach on the Web

• Read blogs regularly and leave comments (leave breadcrumbs with a URL to your site and use your work e-mail address)

• Join groups on Facebook or Ning• The old-fashioned social networking: Attend

real-world meetups

Build your network

• Personal outreach: biz or post cards• On-air callouts, Web and print features• Serious games like Budget Hero,

Consumer Consequences  

Be Personal: The beer pitcher pitch

Leverage your network: Crowdsource• Ask for sources, anecdotes, people affected• Let the community help you report• Collect information and data• Connect people with other people• Find allies in transparency 

Vote Report/Inauguration Report

Fort Myers News-Press: assessments

Help Me Investigate

Spot.us

Ask for help - make it urgent, relevant

Post-publication interaction

• Post your story to social bookmarking sites, groups you've joined

• E-mail sources or interested parties • Track and read comments after publication • Join in the comments or talk forums• Answer questions (formal Q&A or live chat)

 

Convotrack.com

Hang on to your press hats: Google Wave

Questions?

What are you doing in your newsrooms?