Total Community Coverage
Posts tagged with: News
August 13, 2008
Church (or temple, or the mosque, etc.) is where many communities get their news and information. It’s more than that, though. For many communities, the church is the social and political heart of the community—and homilies cover more than just spiritual teaching.
Over the next few posts to this blog, I’ll examine how news orgs can build bridges with some key communities of faith. Tap into this rich conduit of information. If you’re having a hard time reaching certain communities of difference (race, ethnicity, immigrants, lower-income, etc.) directly, then—as Cab Calloway told Blues Brothers—you could use some churchin’ up!
“I can’t,” you may think. “I’m a journalist—I’m supposed to cover communities, not get involved with them. Plus, I’m cynical, and church is scary. And I might burst into flames.”
Don’t worry. Communities of faith tend to be very welcoming. They probably won’t try to convert you, nor will they attack you. Besides—the ones that likely would try such shenanigans are already contacting you, so you know how to avoid them. This not about them. This is about connecting with interesting communities doing interesting and newsworthy things. This is about understanding these communities better so that you can serve them better with news and information.
Covered so far:
- The Catholic Church
- Islam
- Hinduism
- Buddhism
- Judaism
More coming soon, stay tuned!
By Meg Spohn, 08/13/08 at 8:40 am
Posted in Ideas
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August 14, 2008
Despite tireless efforts to break stereotypes about the religion of Islam and Muslim culture, misinformation and prejudice still abound in the US. Consequently (and understandably), some Muslims are wary of US mainstream media—and some news organizations may be similarly wary, too.
That’s why right now it’s especially important for news organizations to foster constructive relationships with local Muslim communities…
Fortunately, many Muslims (especially community leaders) want to connect with news organizations. They welcome sincere interest and accurate reporting.
The Muslim community is large (over a sixth of the global population) and growing quickly. This faith comprises people of all ethnic groups, income brackets, and education levels. With widespread prejudice still common in the US, many Muslims are private about their faith. Therefore chances are that your local Muslim community is significantly larger than you might guess.
Your local mosque or Muslim community center is probably the best first point of contact. Most major US cities have mosques, and these tend to be very welcoming places to visit. Also, most larger colleges and universities have Muslim student centers or organizations.
NOTE: This post is part of a special series on how news orgs can connect with communities of difference through communities of faith.
See the series intro for links to the rest of this series. |
Muslim Bridges is an especially useful resource. It lists more than 1500 mosques in all 50 states. The site also offers an interesting section on the fact and fiction of “Islamaphobia.” Islam’s themes of equality and community make this religion especially appealing to minority groups, so this site also includes information targeted toward African-American and Latino adherents and potential adherents.
Many mosques also publish online newsletters and have successful community outreach programs. Consider The Mosque Foundation, with its strong community content and flashy Web design. In addition to outreach, community and school program listings, it also offers a concise primer on Islam.
True, some Muslim organizations have specific political agendas. However, these tend to resemble the Minaret of Freedom Institute’s agenda than the Taliban’s. The Minaret’s stated mission concerns education, free trade, and socioeconomic improvement. They feature articles and references about terrorism and jihad, civil liberties, freedom and democracy, women’s issues in Islam, and more.
There’s also a rich world of Muslim media. Ask local Muslims which sources of news, information, and entertainment they prefer. Check out whatever is popular locally, and keep an eye out for stories, angles, or perspectives that you might have been missing so far.
By Meg Spohn, 08/14/08 at 12:15 pm
Posted in Ideas
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August 21, 2008
More than one billion people around the world come from India, and millions of Indians live abroad. Almost every US city and town includes Indian immigrants and their descendents. Many of these people practice Hinduism. According to the Hindu American Foundation, currently nearly 2 million Hindus live in the US (1.8 million Indian and 200,000 Indo-Caribbean). Additionally, there may be as many as 1 million practicing American Hindus not of Indian origin.
Despite this, Indian Americans are drastically underrepresented in US media, including news media. Also, most Americans know little or nothing about the Hindu faith that helps keep a large part of the diasporic Indian culture connected…
One key point to understand is that Hinduism is technically “henotheistic”—which means “belief in one god without denying the existence of others.” (Otherwise known as having a philosophy of “one god at a time.”) This is one reason why tolerance is a key Hindu value. (Remember Gandhi’s “All religions are true.”) That can be especially important to keep in mind when seeking comment from members of the Hindu community on stories involving controversy or conflict.
There’s an extra benefit to connecting with local Hindu and Indian-American communities: Their food and festivals are so fantastic, you’ll want any excuse to cover an event! Diwali, the Hindu “festival of lights,” is an excellent opportunity. It celebrates the triumph of good over evil, and expresses hope for beauty and prosperity in the coming year. This year Diwali falls on Oct. 28, so you have time to prepare. Contact local Hindu mandirs (temples) and ask about planned festivities.
NOTE: This post is part of a special series on how news orgs can connect with communities of difference through communities of faith.
See the series intro for links to the rest of this series. |
In general, a key feature of the Indian American community is its impressive and still-growing cultural investment in technology. Consequently, connecting with Indian-American and Hindu communities is generally pretty easy. These communities tend to be tech savvy and avid consumers of all kinds of media, from hard news to pop culture. Mobile media is especially popular. For example, Hindu news sites like Sarve Samachar transmit headlines to mobile phones worldwide via text message.
One of the best ways to connect with Indian and Hindu communities is to get to know their media—especially Bollywood films. These are generally very entertaining, full of music and spectacle reminiscent of Silver Screen-era musicals, but with a modern twist. Sites like BollywoodWorld will clue you in to which films are hot new releases or popular classics. Rent a few and treat yourself to some pure entertainment. Come on: 1.6 billion Indians can’t be wrong!
By Meg Spohn, 08/21/08 at 2:58 pm
Posted in Ideas
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August 22, 2008
If you want to connect with younger audiences, as well as African Americans, you might try offering more online video. This option is supported by the latest research report from the Pew Research Center for The People and The Press…
Audience Segments in a Changing News Environment, released Aug. 17, noted:
“Among internet users, online news video is particularly popular with young people and African Americans. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of blacks who go online say they regularly (18%) or sometimes (47%) watch news video clips or programs; that compares with 47% of whites.
“Almost six-in-ten (58%) internet users younger than 30 say they at least sometimes watch news video; those 50 and older are far less likely to do this.”
Several newspapers are experimenting with online video efforts like the Newark Star-Ledger’s new LedgerLive vidcast (featuring veteran reporter Brian Donohue).
Will these efforts get much traction with the community? Perhaps… But so far this particular vidcast seems to be trying to emulate traditional TV newscasts. I’m not sure that’s what will resonate most with core audiences of online news video, as described by the Pew study.
Of course, the Ledger’s site NJ.com publishes much more online video than just the LedgerLive noontime vidcast. These pieces range from straightforward interviews to fun videos with major potential to become viral linkbait like this:
| Roaches predict the President |
|
The key here is that the Star-Ledger is not only publishing online video, but willing to experiment with various approaches to video content. That’s probably the most crucial determinant of potential success in online video.
By Amy Gahran, 08/22/08 at 10:44 am
Posted in Ideas
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August 26, 2008
In early 2009, former Oklahoma Congressman J.C. Watts plans to launch a 24-hour African American News Channel, called Black Television News Channel (BTN). Comcast and DishNet have already pledged support. “There’s a whole lot more to the African American community than entertainment and sports,” says Watts.
Last month, Politico published a Q & A with Watts about the project.
Watts, who was the only black Republican in Congress during the eight years he served, told Politico he’s launching the channel because “The African-American community is, I think, news-starved and underserved.” He makes some excellent points about missing content that would likely interest African Americans.
And in this NewsOK.com interview, Watts elaborated: “I saw some data that said when you looked at the top 10 TV shows in the white community and you looked at the top 10 TV shows in the black community, none overlapped, with the exception of ‘ER’, which was number one in the white community and number 10 in the black community. So I started asking questions: Why? There was a time when we all got our language and we got our culture fed through three TV networks. Today it’s totally different, and people I think receive the news and they want to hear the news in ways that they want to listen to it. ...None of the mainstream news sources target the African-American community in ways that they actually want to listen.”
What would this channel do differently from, say, CNN? In the Politico interview, Watts mentioned covering the lagging rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. For a while, the mainstream media doggedly followed this story. But now the tens of thousands of still-displaced folks (many of whom are black), seems largely forgotten. The current ripples from Katrina are no less sensational or shocking than what happened at the Superdome.
One way to reach communities of difference is quite simply to cover the stories they care about. For instance, Aug. 29 will mark the third anniversary of Katrina. Are you covering which improvements are happening in the Ninth Ward?
Interestingly, when asked if the channel is being launched just as the first African American president might be inaugurated, Watts says, “Whatever Obama is doing, it’s news. If he becomes president, then that surely would provide a lot of content—but I think news is more than presidential elections or the war in Iraq.”
Watts claims to know what this community needs. He probably can’t provide it all by himself, either. There’s definitely room to grow in this news market. Once this channel launches, be sure to watch it—and watch the reaction to it, online and elsewhere, especially from African Americans. Whether it succeeds or fails, BTN will likely yield valuable lessons about how to serve African American communities better.
Given that recent research from the Pew Center on The People and the Press shows that online video is especially popular with African American internet users, it would be great if BTN also included a strong online component. We’ll see what happens.
By Meg Spohn, 08/26/08 at 12:13 pm
Posted in News
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August 27, 2008
There’s a misconception about Buddhists that they just hang out meditating and ignore current events or popular culture. In fact, Buddhism is about balance and focus rather than 24/7 navel-gazing. It’s also about social and political action—which, in a time of war and multiple social and economic crises, may make Buddhists an especially interesting and important community to connect with.
For instance, right now in South Korea and Thailand, Buddhist monks are playing leading roles in large-scale demonstrations concerning their respective governments. Also, Buddhist economics is a key influence behind the increasingly popular cultural trend called Voluntary Simplicity.
Many Buddhists do watch the news closely, and there’s a global market for news from a Buddhist perspective—especially (but not exclusively) among immigrant communities from major Buddhist regions such as southeast Asia, Tibet, and Korea. Check out the Buddhist Channel for current headlines.
On the lighter side, there’s also the Buddhist Forum on Non-Buddhist Media. This mainly focuses on popular culture. Want to know what Buddhists think about Battlestar Galactica? Whether some Buddhists think “the Force” is like “the Way?” What kinds of music Buddhists think is cool? Here you go.
According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, most Buddhists in America live in western (45%) and southern (23%) states. Most are white (53%) or Asian (32%). Rough estimates of Buddhists in America range around five to six million—about three-quarters of whom are “ethnic Buddhists” (who consider Buddhism an inherited family tradition, whether recent or not). The remainder are converts of various backgrounds. Here’s a good Christian Science Monitor backgrounder on Buddhism in the US.
NOTE: This post is part of a special series on how news orgs can connect with communities of difference through communities of faith.
See the series intro for links to the rest of this series. |
Where are your local Buddhists? Because Buddhists are busy living an examined life (or perhaps examined in living a non-busy life), there are scores of available resources for finding Buddhist communities in the real world and online. A good place to start is this Buddhist media clearinghouse, which lists everything from bilingual Chinese-English resources, to mixed teachings in Polish, to resources for Buddhists in Alaska.
It’s remarkably easy to meet and talk to Buddhists. There are many organized sanghas (communities led by nuns and monks in residence), centers, and temples around the US. (Here’s a list.) Also, Buddhist meditation classes are available just about everywhere—even in the fundamentalist Christian bastion of Colorado Springs. Anyone who would like to learn to focus and relax a little bit, or is just curious, tends to be welcomed openly.
By Meg Spohn, 08/27/08 at 7:38 am
Posted in Ideas
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September 01, 2008
Learn how to engage community from the masters of this art.
It shouldn’t be surprising that Jews—whose religion and culture are as shaped by diaspora as they are rooted in traditions from the Holy Land—are particularly adept at building and maintaining community through media, both globally and locally.
For a global view, check out the media links at the Jewish Daily Forward, and the long list of links to Jewish newspapers and magazines at JewishLink. And from Jerusalem, Chareidio offers a daily audio podcast of Jewish news that can even be delivered to mobile phones worldwide.
Locally, much Jewish media centers around Jewish community centers, like the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan—which offers local community news, programs registration, and more kinds of in-person and virtual connection.
If you’re building bridges with local Jewish communities, it helps to understand a bit about the various types of Judaism. Judaism101 and About.com: Judaism are good places to start. Amidst Judaism’s diversity, learning and communication are universally prized—which is why even the most conservative, private Jewish communities can be quite sophisticated in their use of online and mobile media.
For instance, many of the Chasidim (an insular branch of Orthodox Judaism which maintains a separate and highly traditional lifestyle) are very active online—especially through the organization Chabad, which hosts the lively ChabadTalk forum.
Houses of worship are the heart and soul of many Jewish communities. You can find local Orthodox synagogues or minyans (prayer groups) through Go Daven. Here’s a searchable database of Conservative synagogues (Note: “Conservative” and “Orthodox” Judaism are not the same: Both believe Jewish law is binding, but only Conservative Jews believe that law can change.)
NOTE: This post is part of a special series on how news orgs can connect with communities of difference through communities of faith.
See the series intro for links to the rest of this series. |
Most US Jews adhere to the Reform movement—which, while rooted in Jewish tradition, tends to have the most tolerance on social issues such as homosexuality and grants individuals the greatest autonomy to choose which Jewish laws and practices to follow. The Union for Reform Judaism has a directory of Reform congregations. Reconstructionist Jews take the view that the Jewish people (not God’s command) are what make Jewish laws and rituals sacred and meaningful. The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation offers a directory of congregations. Also, the progressive and increasingly popular Jewish Renewal movement holds many events nationwide.
But if you really want to connect with the Jewish community, dive into Jewish culture—especially the music (from traditional Klezmer to Orthodox rapper Matisyahu), food, slang and humor, holidays, and special ceremonies marking major life events. (Here’s a fascinating new trend in faith and digital media: Jewish funeral and bereavement services by phone—and now even by webcast, both live and archived.)
Perhaps the most compelling reason for news organizations to get more connected with the Jewish community is that these people really know how to “do” community—so they can offer many valuable lessons and examples on that front. Furthermore, Jewish communities tend to be very news conscious and media savvy, they have diverse and interesting perspectives, the conversation’s always good, and of course, that’s were the latkes are.
By Meg Spohn, 09/01/08 at 2:44 pm
Posted in Ideas
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October 27, 2008
Ultimately, elections are about numbers: Whoever gets the most votes (popular or Electoral College) wins. Therefore, it’s tempting for news organizations to view communities primarily as demographic blocks—essentially, as numbers.
The classic form for this type of election story is: “Here’s how Latinos are polling on issue X or candidate Y,” plus perhaps a few example anecdotes to make the story superficially appear to be more about people than numbers. This approach fits well with the too-easy horserace style of election coverage.
For instance, check out these recent stories…
It’s true that there is analytic value to quantifying politics through demographics. But when demographic polling becomes a news organization’s primary lens on a community’s politics, there’s also a danger. Demographics-focused stories may unintentionally promote stereotyping or even divisiveness because they prioritize characteristics over individuals in what is fundamentally a matter of personal choice.
When covering what local communities of difference think about political issues and the upcoming election, remember that these communities are comprised of people. Ultimately, democracy is about individuals. Therefore, individual community members can (and probably should) be routine sources of opinion, insight, and commentary throughout all of your election coverage.
Make sure that your stories about rallies, polling places, ballot counting, issues, commercials, campaign volunteers, and more includes a diverse base of sources.
For instance, when writing about candidates’ differences on energy policy, don’t just interview politicos and experts. The head of a Guatemalan-American family living in a rural trailer park would probably have a lot of interesting things to say about energy costs. So might an Asian-American college student living in a urban shared apartment. So might the managers of the local Jewish community center.
This approach offers the advantage of presenting communities of difference in a broader democratic context, rather than pigeonholing them. It also can make your election coverage more nuanced, lively, and less predictable. So go ahead and run the occasional demographics-based story—as long as it’s balanced by diverse sources throughout your coverage. Also, be sure to learn more about political diversity within communities of difference. (Here’s an example.)
By Amy Gahran, 10/27/08 at 12:49 pm
Posted in Ideas
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