Engaged Journalism in Rural Communities

Abstract

With a growing interest in audience engagement and membership models in local journalism, engagement has been positioned as the one-stone that may address the two-birds of building trust and financial sustainability. However, little is known about how these practices play out in rural areas. This case study explores the efforts of one rural hyperlocal outlet as it attempts to adapt community traditions as engagement interventions—reimagining “society columns” as community contributors, and “liars tables” as listening circles. Using a communication infrastructure theory framework, it draws from 18 interviews with journalists, participating residents, and community stakeholders to examine how these efforts have and have not affected the local storytelling network and activated existing communication assets.

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