MACON – What is journalism's role in monitoring and supporting the health of communities?
How should media organizations measure their impact?
These are just two of the questions to be explored at “Dissection: B” – a workshop devoted to deepening a sense of what media impact is, how to measure it and why it matters, Jan. 30-31, on Mercer University's Macon campus.
Mercer's Center for Collaborative Journalism (CCJ) is co-hosting the workshop with the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) – a non-profit, investigative news organization based in Emeryville, Calif. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation provided funding for the two-day event.
“We are excited to host CIR for this vitally important workshop,” said CCJ Director Tim Regan-Porter. “In any endeavor, the day-to-day fight for survival can cause one to lose sight of its original goals – why it's worth doing in the first place. That's especially true in journalism today. If media organizations are going to transform themselves for the digital age, they must take the time to determine their impact on their communities.”
“Dissection is a new series CIR launched to build a community of practice around media impact,” said CIR Chief Strategy Officer Joaquin Alvarado, a member of Mercer's National Journalism Advisory Board. “Our goal is to find new ways and new networks to improve access to reporting and resources in communities that need them. CCJ is an ideal partner for Dissection B, as they are building an entirely new and collaborative model that shares our goals.”
The workshop begins Thursday with a 1-5 p.m. “Analytics for Impact” workshop in Room 130 of the CCJ. Representatives from area non-profits and community organizations are invited to attend, and can RSVP here.
On Friday, a welcome, introduction and orientation will take place from 8:30-9 a.m. in the Homer and Ruth Drake Field House at Mercer University Stadium. From 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., presentations will be made by Jana Diesner of ConText; Clint Beharry of the Harmony Institute; Andrew Haeg of the CCJ and Groundsource; Linda Fantin of the Public Insight Network and American Public Media; Lindsay Green-Barber of CIR; Michelle Holmes of the Alabama Media Group; and the CCJ's Regan-Porter.
Lunch, from 12:30-1:30 p.m., includes a keynote by Teya Ryan, president and CEO of Georgia Public Broadcasting. A hands-on design project will take place from 1:30-3:30 p.m., followed by a presentation of group findings and a wrap-up from 3:30-4 p.m.
For more information, click here.
About the Center for Collaborative Journalism
The Center for Collaborative Journalism (CCJ) is a unique partnership between Mercer University, The Telegraph and Georgia Public Broadcasting, with generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and The Peyton Anderson Foundation. The Center's groundbreaking collaboration has students, faculty and veteran journalists working together in a joint newsroom. Learning in a “teaching hospital” model, students engage the community using the latest digital tools and leave with a strong portfolio of published work.
About the Center for Investigative Reporting
Investigative reporting is an essential pillar of a democratic society. For more than three decades, the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) has relentlessly pursued and revealed injustices that otherwise would have remained hidden from the public. Today, CIR is upholding this legacy and looking forward, working at the forefront of journalistic innovation to tell stories that make a difference and reach diverse audiences of all ages, across the aisle and worldwide.
CIR's stories have appeared in hundreds of news outlets, including NPR News, PBS FRONTLINE, PBS NewsHour, CNN, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Sacramento Bee, The Daily Beast and American Public Media's Marketplace. CIR has received numerous journalism awards, including an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Silver Baton, George Polk Awards, Emmy Awards, Investigative Reports and Editors Awards, and the MacArthur Award for Creative & Effective Institutions. It was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2012 and 2013.
