A recent article at Phys.org covers a newly released study that explores how a change in the way journalism students are taught can help them to better engage communities. The study, led by IDS affiliate Sue Robinson and colleagues Magarita Orozco and Lori Shontz, analyzes the impact of a conversation facilitation training program for journalism students from six universities across the United States. From the article:
“The profession of journalism is facing dual challenges of lost trust and relevance. A research project among educators, students, journalists and communities in six states has found that pairing student journalists with communities through structured conversation can help to rebuild trust while also teaching future reporters how to listen to and investigate the needs of people who are often overlooked.
Researchers designing an intervention to build a new curriculum for journalism schools tested a conversation facilitation program where students and professors took part in a class using a syllabus developed in 2021 by Sue Robinson of the University of Wisconsin. The course paired the students with community members often overlooked, such as unhoused, LGBTQ, disabled, low-income, Black and Latino communities. The goal was to begin by learning directly from their experiences and concerns…” Read more