Tips for Working with Citizen Journalists

The media landscape is a whole new place. (Click image for more.)

NOTE: This post is my "handout" for a talk I'm giving this afternoon to several members of Green Media Toolshed, a service that helps nonprofits attract more media coverage.

The media landscape keeps getting more complicated. It used to be that there were news/media organizations on one side which supplied the public with selected information -- and PR/communications pros on the other, trying to convince the media to carry their messages to the public.

Now, everyone is talking to everyone. At least, many important communication and media trends are steadily moving in that direction. The citizen journalism phenomenon is a growing part of the media landscape. In some places and on some issues, citizen journalists can be quite influential.

Here are a few key things PR/communications pros should keep in mind about the emerging field of citizen journalism and the diverse community drawn to this avocation...

If you're contacted by a citizen journalist for information or an interview:

1. "Blogger" may mean "citizen journalist," even if they don't say so. The label "citizen journalist" is controversial (because it combines two loaded terms), so often people who are commiting independent acts of journalism don't identify as citizen journalists. Often they simply consider themselves bloggers, discussion leaders and participants, or concerned community members. But if they're contacting you to gather or verify information directly, that's a journalistic task that might result in a journalistic or quasi-journalistic outcome.
   
2. Clarify the venue. Ask this person what site, publication, or podcast they're gathering information on behalf of, and get a URL. Ask who their target audience or core community is. This context is always valuable when speaking to the media -- and it's even more important when "the media" is an nontraditional, new, solo, or independent project. If you have time, look up the link to get a sense of what kind of info would be most appropriate and useful.
   
   
3. Don't discriminate. Sadly, many organizations (especially corporations and government agencies, but some nonprofits also) only respond to info or interview requests from established media outlets. This not only can backfire (having someone post: "XYZ Association refused to talk to me" sometimes can be exactly the worst thing to happen in a crisis); it also can vaporize non-obvious opportunities to communities you might really want or need to reach. If you tend to field many similar requests from citizen journalists or bloggers, it may be a good idea to start your own blog and use that to post responses to the most common questions. That not only increases efficiency -- it looks savvy in this medium and builds goodwill.
   
4. Give the benefit of the doubt. Citizen journalism is definitely a mixed bag -- some people are more responsible and skilled than others. Chances are if a citizen journalist is contacting you directly (rather than simply pondering aloud in public or making assumptions), he or she is at least trying to be responsible and fair.
   
5. Always offer links. Since most citizen journalists publish online, it's a good idea to offer specific direct links to relevant online resources. This is especially useful if your organization blogs or has a web site. Send these links during or immediately after the interview, since citzen journalists and bloggers work fast and are likely to post virtually immediately. If they have the links you recommend handy, they'll be more likely to include them.
   
6. Check the story later, and comment as warranted. If possible, leave a positive public comment -- in conversational media, you always leave a better impression when you're willing to engage publicly. Plus, such engagement generally encourages more responsible citizen journalism. If you find errors or inaccuracies, leave a constructive, non-defensive comment to correct the record -- but make sure you're factual about it. If comments are allowed, publicly commenting is generally preferable to trying to get the story corrected behind-the-scenes, which may seem manipulative in this medium.
   
7. Keep checking the story, to see if a followup comment thread develops. (CoComment can be a useful tool for comment tracking.) Participate constructively in that discussion as warranted. Even if you or your organization attract criticism, responding gracefully and forthrightly makes a lasting impression, and tends to defuse potential conflicts.

YOU CAN BE A CITIZEN JOURNALIST, TOO

Many venues that publish citizen journalism are open to the public, and anyone (or at least, anyone registered) can post stories, video, or other content. One example is YourHub, a network of citizen journalism sites and local print publications affiliated with the Denver Newspaper Agency.

Unless specifically prohibited by the venue, "anyone" includes you, too. Yes, you can provide original stories, information, images, and any news content to these venues too. The key is to be smart, transparent, fair, and engaging:

• Smart: Don't post traditional press releases to citizen journalism or community news venues. Please, just don't. Even if the venue says it's OK. Traditional press releases, even if well written, come across as stilted and less valuable. (Which is, like it or not, why most journalists loathe them.) If you're going to write a story, write a real story. Make it engaging, and use an appropriate, non-fake tone.
  
• Transparent: If you're employed by or affiliated with an organization or posting on its behalf, say so clearly. Never try to conceal that sort of important context -- you can bet it's the first thing you'll be outed for, probably publicly and unpleasantly. In my experience, the people who are attracted to citizen journalism care more about having all the context they need to judge the merits of a story than about insisting that all sources of stories be "objective." The fact is, since most citizen journalists are unpaid, they only publish on topics they care about or are involved in, so transparency is a higher value than objectivity in this realm.
  
• Fair: Anticipate common questions, criticisms, and skepticism -- and address them proactively in the citizen journalism. For instance, if your organization is doing a project funded by a grant from a blatantly politically biased think tank, proactively address questions or criticisms about why you accepted that money and whether it might reasonably appear to skew your efforts. Remember that "proactive" does not mean "defensive." And remember that criticism and controversy is generally a good thing online -- it gives you an opportunity to engage people in discussion and explain your perspective more fully.
  
• Engaging: Of course your content should be presented in a tone and format that will attract the interest and respect of the community. However, what I really mean by "engaging" is demonstrating a willingness to engage to the extent possible. For instance, if people leave comments on your story (or discuss it elsewhere, such as aon a forum or blog), find a constructive, positive way to get involved in that conversation -- even if it's just to say "Thanks for making that point." I cannot overstate what a huge positive impression it makes to engage in the public conversation. In most cases, regardless of the content of the conversation, this activity alone can build surprising goodwill in communities online and elsewhere.

More resources posted at I, Reporter:

• What is citizen journalism?
• Key citJ resources

Comments

[David Brazeal]

Amy, these are really great. I enjoyed the piece for blogging reporters, too.

I appreciate your willingness to say that professional PR and communications people can be citizen journalists, too. That line is fading fast, because the public has the means to judge an argument on its merits without relying on a strict dichotomy between "reporters" and "publicists."

[Beth Kanter]

I love it that you are talking to nonprofits! Did you know about the NPtech tag? I'm tagging this and will point it out to the larger community as well.

Cheers!

[Roger Anderson]

Amy, I like your blog and your style. I do disagree on one of your points: "Give the benefit of the doubt" I have seen too many spies and stockholders of other companies falsify their identity (as press, college students, customers) to try to get inside information. As I say in my presentation to young entrepreneurs (Don't Eat the Steak) If the information requested is in any way sensitive, they should ALWAYS get contact information and call the person back after they have verified their identity. I had a customer VP call me asking for very specific information to be sent to him by email right away. He should have been able to get this information from his side of the relationship so I waited a few days. It was announced that he was now the VP of a competitor. If it is that important, it is important enough to ask why.