1. Rural and Community Journalism: Personal and Professional
Al Cross, Director
Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues

2. The BEST thing about community journalism is that you get to write about people you know.

3. The worst thing about community journalism is that you get to write about people you know.

4. Community journalism is “relationship journalism”
Closer and longer-lasting relationships with:

5. Community journalism is “relationship journalism”
Closer and longer-lasting relationships with:
SUBJECTS of your stories, editorials and columns

6. Community journalism is “relationship journalism”
Closer and longer-lasting relationships with:
SUBJECTS of your stories, editorials and columns
SOURCES for your journalism

7. Community journalism is “relationship journalism”
Closer and longer-lasting relationships with:
SUBJECTS of your stories, editorials and columns
SOURCES for your journalism
READERS, LISTENERS AND VIEWERS

8. This man knew both community and metropolitan journalism:
“I believe that the country weekly acts as a form of social cement in holding the community together.”

9. This man knew both community and metropolitan journalism:
“I believe that the country weekly acts as a form of social cement in holding the community together.”
“The fact that a man is a newspaper reporter is evidence of some flaw of character.”

10. The Conundrum of Community Journalism
LBJ reflected the difference in perception, and sometimes reality, between community and metropolitan papers

11. The Conundrum of Community Journalism
LBJ reflected the difference in perception, and sometimes reality, between community and metropolitan papers
More importantly, his quotes illustrate the fundamental conundrum that faces community journalists

12. The Conundrum of Community Journalism
LBJ reflected the difference in perception, and sometimes reality, between community and metropolitan papers
More importantly, his quotes illustrate the fundamental conundrum that faces community journalists: To be a good one, you must be both a good journalist in the professional sense, and someone whose role in the community is a net positive – and is perceived as such.

13. The Conundrum of Community Journalism
LBJ reflected the difference in perception, and sometimes reality, between community and metropolitan papers
More importantly, his quotes illustrate the fundamental conundrum that faces community journalists: To be a good one, you must be both a good journalist in the professional sense, and someone whose role in the community is a net positive – and is perceived as such.
You must assist that perception by clearly and humbly explaining your institutional roles

14. The Institutional Roles of Community Journalism

15. The Institutional Roles of Community Journalism
Informing the community without fear or favor, in stories, photographs and other media

16. The Institutional Roles of Community Journalism
Informing the community without fear or favor, in stories, photographs and other media
Convening the community in a fair forum, on your editorial page and Web site

17. The Institutional Roles of Community Journalism
Informing the community without fear or favor, in stories, photographs and other media
Convening the community in a fair forum, on your editorial page and Web site
Leading the community by taking stands, or at least providing analysis and perspective, on important issues

18. The Institutional Roles of Community Journalism
Informing the community without fear or favor, in stories, photographs and other media
Convening the community in a fair forum, on your editorial page and Web site
Leading the community by taking stands, or at least providing analysis and perspective, on important issues – AND by playing a civic role much like that of any other community member, while making clear that a journalist’s first obligation is to the community as a whole, not any particular interest, including your own

19. Explaining Yourself
Reporting is an unnatural act

20. Explaining Yourself Reporting is an unnatural act
The concepts and perceptions of reporting and journalism are changing

21. Explaining Yourself Reporting is an unnatural act
The concepts and perceptions of reporting and journalism are changing
Our allegiance is to facts, and to the public

22. Explaining Yourself Reporting is an unnatural act
The concepts and perceptions of reporting and journalism are changing
Our allegiance is to facts, and to the public
Regardless of its commercial circumstances, journalism has a special mission; it is more than a job, it is a calling; it is more than a business, it is a form of public service that has some special obligations to the public – and to itself

23. The Fundamental Task
To be a successful community journalist, you must successfully manage the conflicts that constantly arise between your two roles:

24. The Fundamental Task
To be a successful community journalist, you must successfully manage the conflicts that constantly arise between your two roles: The PERSONAL and The PROFESSIONAL More on this later . . .

25. Editorial Leadership
Keeping public service at top of mind

26. Editorial Leadership Keeping public service at top of mind
Having a conversation with readers

27. Editorial Leadership Keeping public service at top of mind
Having a conversation with readers
Providing a fair forum

28. Editorial Leadership Keeping public service at top of mind
Having a conversation with readers
Providing a fair forum
Taking a stand, carrying a cause

29. Editorial Leadership Keeping public service at top of mind
Having a conversation with readers
Providing a fair forum
Taking a stand, carrying a cause
Comforting the afflicted, afflict the comfortable: Give voice to the voiceless and speak truth to power

30. Editorial Leadership Keeping public service at top of mind
Having a conversation with readers
Providing a fair forum
Taking a stand, carrying a cause
Comforting the afflicted, afflict the comfortable: Give voice to the voiceless and speak truth to power
No one else can do it like you can

31. Editorial Leadership Explaining yourself Must include convening
Taking stands: Why don’t more do it?
Fear
Fatigue
Laziness
In the wrong job

32. Editorial Leadership
Begins with the basics:

33. Editorial Leadership Begins with the basics:
Strong news coverage: If you give them information that appeals to them, they will pay attention to you

34. Editorial Leadership Begins with the basics:
Strong news coverage: If you give them information that appeals to them, they will pay attention to you
Always have a cause; stand for something

35. Editorial Leadership Begins with the basics:
Strong news coverage: If you give them information that appeals to them, they will pay attention to you
Always have a cause; stand for something
Supporting popular causes makes the less popular easier to sell

36. Editorial Leadership Begins with the basics:
Strong news coverage: If you give them information that appeals to them, they will pay attention to you
Always have a cause; stand for something
Supporting popular causes makes the less popular easier to sell
Make friends and build alliances

37. Editorial Leadership Begins with the basics:
Strong news coverage: If you give them information that appeals to them, they will pay attention to you
Always have a cause; stand for something
Supporting popular causes makes the less popular easier to sell
Make friends and build alliances
Be seen as a community builder

38. Editorial Leadership
Sometimes it calls for courage

39. Editorial Leadership Sometimes it calls for courage
The personal vs. the professional

40. Editorial Leadership Sometimes it calls for courage
The personal vs. the professional
Challenging longstanding wrongs

41. Editorial Leadership Sometimes it calls for courage
The personal vs. the professional
Challenging longstanding wrongs
Cautionary but inspirational stories

42. Editorial Leadership Sometimes it calls for courage
The personal vs. the professional
Challenging longstanding wrongs
Cautionary but inspirational stories
Tom and Pat Gish of The Mountain Eagle: Crusaders AND community publishers

43. Editorial Leadership Sometimes it calls for courage
The personal vs. the professional
Challenging longstanding wrongs
Cautionary but inspirational stories
Tom and Pat Gish of The Mountain Eagle: Crusaders AND community publishers
Sometimes the role is civic, too

44. Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues

45. Editorial Leadership Begins with the basics:
Strong news coverage: If you give them information that appeals to them, they will pay attention to you
Always have a cause; stand for something
Public records can be the key
Build circulation and trust
Provide gut checks for you:
Tough calls on the small things help you make tougher calls on the big things

46. Weeklies and the Internet
Digital advertising will exceed print this year
Fastest growing type of online content is video
Social media redefining “community”
Broadband reach will keep increasing
Even if you have local information monopoly, you are in competition with all media for time and your publication schedule is an anachronism
Local, online competition is already out there
The cost experimenting is low; do it now and protect your franchise

47. Weeklies and the Internet
Pay walls? Combined subscriptions?
Whatever you do, protect your franchise, serve your readers and create traffic by putting online content that you can’t put into print

48. Weeklies and the Internet
Daily updates (can be limited)
Breaking news
Events calendars; make them searchable
Video (as simple as a meeting segment)
Long-form video or photo presentations
Photo galleries (Soundslides is easy to use)
Source materials
Databases of public records
Reader-generated content