When discussing their work, these journalists did not talk a lot about “editors” or “assignments.” Rather we were struck by the degree to which they took their responsibilities and ran with them, charting their own way, directing their own work.
They are a group that’s unlikely to wait for marching orders. “Independence” is a journalist’s most valuable characteristic, one reporter said.
While newsrooms sometimes have limited guidance from overburdened bosses and a dearth of mentors, these journalists didn’t appear particularly troubled by it. They generally seemed highly confident in their abilities.
“I think all my ideas are good ideas and I’m surprised when they fail,” said Stephanie Arnold.
They are explorers, finding their own way, but with one eye on tradition and business necessity. “Feeding the beast” was the way some reporters described needing to fill the daily newspaper or evening broadcast. Stephanie Arnold called it “adulting.”
[pulldata context=”Independence is a journalist’s most valuable characteristic, one reporter at an @AmPress summit said.” align=right]“You have to do what you have to do in order to do what you want to do,” she said.
And what they want to do is pursue original stories that deserve attention, rather than track the agendas and announcements of officials. For instance, Mary Ellen Klas decided that she didn’t “want to write about legislative agendas anymore” and instead opted to focus on “counterintuitive stories.” For example, “What are [the legislators] NOT talking about?”
They also are good at “managing up” in the organization, setting expectations before embarking on a new idea or project, and using their enterprising ideas to dissuade an editor from assigning what they consider less meaningful stories.
Why this characteristic is important in accountability journalism: The type of employee traditionally labeled as a “self-starter” is a key characteristic — possibly even a necessity — for today’s accountability journalists. The typical newsroom’s declining supply of editors and experienced mentors mean there’s less time spent guiding longer-term, deeply researched reporting projects. These journalists need to possess a high level of self-sufficiency.
Share with your network
7 characteristics of effective accountability journalists
You also might be interested in:
Whether it’s an engaging personality breaking down complicated news on YouTube, a streamer testing their limits on an obstacle course or a short film series that meets people where they’re at, content consumption is fragmented — but also gives newsrooms an opportunity to create niche content that can succeed if paired with the right distribution strategy.
If you want to know how to reach teens and young adults, ask young journalists and the folks who work with them.
We gathered news leaders and non-news experts to discuss what it looks like to build sustainable youth engagement efforts into their coverage and fundraising. We asked four summit participants to share more about the ways they are funding experiments with youth engagement in their communities.
