"How can we help?" The Engaged Journalism Exchange aims to create belonging through media

"The most recent Engaged Journalism Exchange - a convening of journalism practitioners, funders, and scholars in San Francisco over the summer - began with Anita Varma describing how she'd been the target of a disinformation campaign, a home vandalism, and doxxing during the several years she's been leading the Solidarity Journalism Initiative as an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Texas at Austin."

""At that point," she said, "public engagement became a danger for me." Her comment kicked off a half-day discussion focused on the precarious position of people who work in journalism, and the creative ways those people are responding and reimagining the field. The event brought journalists together with civic media makers, organizers, and researchers to share experiences and brainstorm. (We are cofounders of the Engaged Journalism Exchange, along with Letrell Crittenden.)"

""We have lost our publics," Murphy said, calling on participants who work for newsrooms and universities to grapple with the fact that many people no longer trust them. "Our publics don't care that we're under attack." Performative expressions of diversity, she said, fall short of meaningful change, and "our publics are not coming to the rescue." Bair added nuance to Murphy's point by distinguishing between national news organizations and community-focused news organizations like El Tímpano."

Journalists, civic media makers, organizers, and researchers confront threats including disinformation campaigns, doxxing, and home vandalism that make public engagement risky. Public trust in newsrooms and universities has eroded, and many audiences no longer defend or prioritize journalists amid attacks. Performative diversity measures fail to rebuild trust without substantive change. Community-focused outlets retain engaged subscribers by providing locally relevant, actionable information and guidance for everyday needs. Convenings bring practitioners and funders together to share experiences, brainstorm protective practices, and reimagine journalism's role in safety, trust-building, and community-centered reporting strategies.

Read at Nieman Lab