The second instalment of the interviews with practitioners of Engaged Journalism features three journalists, pioneers who have found their own ways to partner with the public and their communities.
Jennifer Brandel is a former Chicago public radio journalist who created a project inviting curious citizens to send in questions for the newsroom to investigate. Building on that experience, she co–founded Hearken, a start–up that provides technical support and consultation to newsrooms for community engagement.
Terry Parris Jr.–recognized the potential of engaging the public in news, when he had to cover a prolonged city–wide blackout on his own. Now as Engagement Director for THE CITY, a non-profit news outlet in New York City, he holds ‘Open Newsrooms’ to learn the information needs of local communities, and to make local news more collaborative.
Darryl Holliday is Co-founder of City Bureau, a non-profit ‘civic journalism lab’ based in Chicago, which aims to make media and journalism more democratic. He is working to equip people with the skills of journalists, and to create a new information ecosystem by bringing together the journalists and the community to collaborate.
Each of the three has different approach, but they are all working to reimagine the role of journalists and the practice of journalism. They are exploring new ways to create news that is relevant and meaningful to the people they aim to serve, through engagement and collaboration. In this article they share their experience, their thoughts and insights that lead to their unique initiatives.