Working with influencers

The growth of influencers, and people’s reliance on them for information, has troubled some traditional journalists who feel they are competing with people who do not have to adhere to the profession’s standards, ethics and rigor.

Here’s another idea: Work with them.

API has begun publishing lessons from a program in which six news organizations, supported by API and the Knight Election Hub, worked with influencers on election-related stories. From their experiences, we’ve also collected 22 ideas for influencer collaborations.

Trusting News, too, has a new take on the creator phenomenon, focusing not on “who’s allowed in the journalism club,” but on making sure people can access and identify credible information, write Joy Mayer and Mollie Muchna. They see two paths forward: Helping creators make their ethics and integrity clear to audiences, and helping traditional newsrooms adapt to this new era.

The idea of training creators in journalism basics is similar to one voiced by Jelani Cobb, dean of Columbia Journalism School, who said in a recent interview with the comedian Hasan Minhaj that the school is offering “a la carte packaging“ of classes in topics such as ethics, media law and basic production skills that might help people with no journalism background whatsoever. That part of the conversation is viewable on Instagram (naturally).

News In Focus
Headlines, resources and events aligned with API’s four areas of focus.

Civic Discourse & Democracy

>> Stymied by a federal health communications pause, journalists worry about what comes next (Poynter)

The Trump administration’s “pause” in communications by federal health agencies has meant that journalists are losing access to critical health and scientific information, reports Angela Fu. Some have learned that interviews are being canceled. One journalist told Fu the pause “could have major impacts on the health of Americans.”

  • Related: 4 angles to consider when covering the far-reaching effects of the NIH pause (Association of Health Care Journalists)

Culture & Inclusion

>> Is it finally time to change how newsrooms are managed? (TVNewsCheck) 

Finding a good news director is a real challenge these days, writes Sean McLaughlin. “In fact, that has me flat-out panicked,” says McLaughlin, the vice president of news for Graham Media Group’s local media hubs. They are often stressed-out and short-staffed. He suggests the addition of a “manager of content and coverage” to help take pressure off the news director.

>> Roger DeWayne: Telling his community’s stories (The Pivot Blog)

Roger DeWayne, a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, joined the Mississippi Free Press a few weeks ago, supported by a grant from The Pivot Fund. The first Indigenous reporter in the state, he is writing stories informed by his own experiences; he spent his early childhood on the reservation. Now he’s part of an effort to reach a long-underserved community in local media.

>> Writers of color are leaving the journalism industry for Substack. Is it better there? (Annenberg School of Communication)

Nelanthi Hewa, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, spoke to writers of color about their experiences leaving legacy media organizations to start their own newsletters. She came away with a mixed picture, writes Hailey Reissman. The money isn’t steady and the shift to newsletters doesn’t help with inequities in the news industry. However, the writers enjoyed editorial freedom and ability to build their own community.

Community Engagement & Trust

>> New from API: Newsroom efforts aim to get more Texans informed about voting and to the polls (Better News) 

The Dallas Morning News wanted to find ways to reach nonvoters and spur them to the polls with the relevant information they would need to cast their ballots. The team knew that multiple entry points were needed to reach these people, so they settled on four elements: Personalized content, culturally-tailored journalism, data-driven enterprise storytelling and community engagement and feedback. The strategy worked.

Revenue & Resilience

>> Combining forces: Mother Jones and the Center for Investigative Reporting are focused on resilience (CJR) 

Mother Jones and the Center for Investigative Reporting merged a year ago and the joint venture now operates as a 120-person team. Now the combined publications are creating a consultancy aimed at helping newsrooms with operations and finances, writes Lauren Watson.

What else you need to know

🗞️ Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro, co-founder of the National Trust for Local News, steps down as CEO (Media Nation)

🌡️MacArthur Foundation announces more than $6 million in grants to support climate journalism (MacArthur Foundation)

🌞Iowa meteorologists safe for now as Allen Media reviews plan to use The Weather Channel (Des Moines Register)

⚖️Killed Florida TV reporter’s parents claim his employer failed to provide for his safety in lawsuit (The Associated Press)

👀F.C.C. chair orders investigation into NPR and PBS Stations (The New York Times)

Weekend reads

+ The year we redefine our relationship with audiences and our role in society (International Journalists’ Network)

+ ‘Our job is to be truthful not neutral’: Christiane Amanpour on Trump, tech and fighting for the truth (The Guardian)

+ Looking for low-bandwidth news? (Substack, Journalist Brain)

+ Does it still make sense to be a journalist? (CJR)