The Charlotte Observer
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IN THE PR ESS Civic Journalism: Strengthening the Media's Ties With the Public by Tom Mather A growing number of newspapers and television voter-driven election coverage, rather than candi- stations-in North Carolina and across the coun- date-driven coverage." try-are trying a different approach to covering the The Observer's experiment seemingly flies in news. The new approach, called civic or public the face of typical journalistic practice. Tradition- journalism, seeks to stem growing disillusionment ally, newspaper editors and television producers with politics and the news media by focusing cover- have called the shots when deciding what news is fit age on the issues that concern people the most. to print or broadcast. That has led to a perception, Practitioners hope to present news in more appeal- among some readers, that an elite group of editors is ing ways, attract more readers and viewers, and telling the public, "You WILL read this!" better involve the public in the political process. In reality, public opinion has always been a But some critics warn that civic journalism may be factor in news coverage. After all, editors and pandering to the public's sometimes conflicting and reporters are people too, and they have friends, short-sighted desires. relatives, and neighbors among the general public. Ignoring public opinion also can be bad for busi- ness. Many people won't buy newspapers or watch TheCharlotte Observer turned to an unlikely TV shows that don't cover the news they consider source-the public-when seeking advice on important or that dwell too much on events they how to cover the 1992 election campaign. In a don't care about. groundbreaking media experiment, the paper polled Nevertheless, a growing number of journalists 1,000 Charlotte-area residents about what issues are concluding that they need to do a better job of they considered most important for political leaders listening to public concerns about news coverage. to address. The Observer then used those survey Many journalists also feel that they need to find new findings to guide its coverage of candidates running ways of attracting readers and viewers, presenting for the Governor's Office, the U.S. Senate, and the news in appealing ways, and involving the public in Presidency. the political process. Practitioners of this emerging For example, the paper used its findings to style of news coverage, labeled "civic" or "public" identify key concerns of local residents and to journalism, make use of several methods to better develop questions for its reporters to pose to engage the public: candidates. Since then, the Observer has used a Identifying what issues people consider similar approach to guide its coverage of the N.C. most important through opinion polls, interviews, General Assembly, local crime issues, and the 1994 and focus groups; elections. Placing more attention on the potential solu- "Our coverage has dramatically changed," says tions and remedies for problems discussed in news Rick Thames, the Observer's assistant managing coverage; editor. "More than anything, this is a change in the way we think about election coverage. It's really Tom Mather is Associate Editor of North Carolina Insight. 70 NORTH CAROLINA INSIGHT Clearly noting, when possible, how elected Reasons for Changing Media Coverage officials stand on the issues most important to voters; News media have been re-examining their coverage Regularly informing readers and viewers of issues for several reasons. One of the key con- how to contact their elected officials, vote in elec- cerns is the public's increasing disillusionment with tions, attend public meetings, and otherwise partici- the political process. As Jay Rosen, a professor at pate in the political process; New York University and one of the leading propo- Organizing public meetings, televised fo- nents of civic journalism, says: "Citizens are frus- rums, and other ways for people to discuss public trated with the political system. Public life is in an policies and the solutions to problems. advanced state of decay and journalism must do By themselves, these techniques are not revolu- something about it. And because public life is in tionary changes in news coverage. What's new trouble, journalism is in trouble."3 about civic journalism is the systematic use of such Rosen's contention is supported by growing methods in order to involve the public more in news public skepticism about the accuracy and veracity coverage and politics. of the news media. That trend is illustrated by polls "Civic journalism is a revulsion against the showing that the public's regard for journalists has usual election campaign coverage rituals of `horse declined steadily over the past decade. (See Figure race' polling, `sound-bite' reportage and television 1 below.) For example, 30 percent of the respon- attack ads," writes Neal R. Peirce, a nationally syn- dents to a 1981 Gallup poll rated newspaper report- dicated columnist.' "One could say the papers' and ers as having high or very high honesty and ethical stations' primary interest in civic journalism is to standards. By 1993, that number had declined to 22 attract readers and viewers.... But civic journal- percent. Similar declines have occurred in public ism is arguably more: an opening wedge of papers ratings of all journalists and television reporters. and broadcasters to `re-engineer' their operations (The silver lining in the Gallup findings is that and reinforce the focus they should always have- journalists have consistently ranked higher than the needs and concerns of all of us, not just as many other groups, including lawyers, business consumers but as participating citizens."2 executives, senators, congressmen, local and state Figure 1. Public Ratings of Journalists ' Honesty and Ethics 40% TV Newspeople 35% 30% All Journalists a 25% Newspaper Reporters 20% 1981 1985 1990 1992 1993 Year of Survey Source: Gallup Poll MARCH 1995 71 Figure 2. Newspaper Readership 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 1967 72 75 77 78 82 63 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 Year of Survey Source: National Opinion Research Center office-holders, and the perennial also-rans-car clined moderately among younger residents (those salesmen.) less than 30 years old) but has increased among Perhaps related to the declining esteem of jour- older residents (those more than 30 years old). nalists is a long-term decline in newspaper reader- "U.S. newspapers are not dying; they are com- ship. The proportion of adults who read newspapers mitting suicide," says Gene Cryer, editor of the Sun- every day dropped from 73 percent in 1967 to 50 Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. "They are pro- percent in 1994, according to surveys conducted by duced by journalists for other journalists and/or the National Opinion their sources. They are, Research Center at the for the most part, irrel- University of Chicago. evant to most reader (See Figure2 above.) "Newspapers are keenly groups."5 A similar, although less aware of a younger Such trends dramatic, decline in have convincedCryer newspaper readership generation of non-readers and other journalists has occurred in North that does not care whether that the news media Carolina since 1979, it sees a newspaper in the need to change the way according to The Caro- morning or not, and they cover politics and lina Poll conducted by public policy. Instead the University of North newspapers are trying to of focusing on the latest Carolina at Chapel appeal to this generation political scandal or Hill.4 The Carolina by writing down to it." squabble, such critics Poll also found that the contend that the media - GARRISON KEILLOR percentage of people need to pay closer at- HUMORIST AND AUTHOR watching television tention to what the pub- news shows has de- lic wants from news 72 NORTH CAROLINA INSIGHT -continued from p. 73 "It is neither fashionable nor polite-let alone selves in these survey results. And too often, what's politically correct-to suggest that the vox populi been written or broadcast about an important issue may not be all it's cracked up to be," Rasky writes. and then partially digested by the public is either "But the dirty little truth that emerges in voters' wrong or misleading." `voices' is well known to political reporters, politi- With some issues, Morin says, media coverage cal scientists and above all to the politicians them- has had a substantial-and misleading influence selves: Citizens generally want very contradictory on public perceptions. "Consider the current spot- things from those who govern."16 light on crime, which ranks as the top concern of By focusing news coverage on popular percep- many voters," he says.13 "But that finding doesn't tions, Rasky says, journalists are abandoning a key quite square with reality: that the overall crime rate responsibility-to guide public discourse. One of actually is going down and that the violent crime the ways journalists exercise that responsibility, she rate-including the murder rate-is lower now than says, is by gathering and analyzing the views of it was a decade ago.14 There is strong evidence to academics, leaders, experts, and informed sources. suspect that the media have created the current Indeed, surveys and other studies have shown undifferentiated fears about crime by their often that public opinion often can differ widely from careless coverage of the issue." expert opinion." Such differences could support Such concerns have led political analyst Susan arguments against the wisdom of basing news cov- Rasky to describe civic journalism as a "perhaps erage on popular opinions. Some critics already well intentioned, but ultimately harebrained no- accuse the media of pandering to popular public tion."15 Using opinion polls to guide reporting, she interests by de-emphasizing political coverage at says, would result in news coverage that "amounts the expense of news about celebrities, sports, to an expanded version of letters to the editor." sensational crimes, and life styles.