News Alchemists #20: "Why create a need when you can meet a need?"

What is journalism?

Over the last year and a half, I found myself asking this question time and again.

Within the industry, we feel like we know the answer. And yet, once we try to complete the sentence "Journalism is...", we all go in different directions – sometimes very different.

That's partly because, confusingly, we use the word 'journalism' to define simultaneously a field, a profession, a product, even a mission. But it's also because the way we think of journalism is evolving every day, along with people's hopes and expectations about it.

According to Wikipedia, journalism is "the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the 'news of the day' and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy."

I might not go as far as saying that I disagree with this definition – but I do believe it fails to represent the richness of what journalism is, and should aim to be.

Journalism should not be defined merely by the act of producing and distributing content; nor its mission should be limited to informing society about the news of the day. Journalism is much more than that: from outputs that don't look like content at all, to a mission that goes way beyond the simple objective of 'informing' the public.

I've talked before about the need to expand the definition of journalism and to update its mission, if we want to renew the social contract with the public and find new avenues to financial sustainability.

If we don't embrace this expanded view of what journalism can be, and abandon old simplistic narratives, we have no chance at getting out of the crisis we've been navigating for years (decades?) already.

Last year, I created News Alchemists with the goal to "articulate a vision for change in the journalism industry, and advocate for it, in order to make journalism more user-centric, and more equitable and sustainable as a result."

That mission is in progress, and I continue to work towards it with this newsletter, and with the consulting work I do for organisations across the globe. And now I'm super excited to also continue this work as a visiting scholar at Northwestern University! 💜

I arrived in Evanston, Illinois, last week, and I will be here until the end of June working with 🧞Jeremy Gilbert (one of the original alchemists!) and the Knight Lab team on a project we've been developing behind the scenes for weeks.

It's called 'Rethink, Recenter, Redefine. Journalism in transition' (or JR3 in short) and it starts from the same question I opened this email with.

We believe that our joint objective of making journalism more people-centric requires us to reimagine what the mission of journalism is, what it means to do journalism, and what we consider journalism to be as a product.

👽 If aliens landed on Earth today and you could explain to them what journalism is – starting not from what it's been and all its flaws, but from what journalism *can* be if we were to make it truly people-centric – what would you tell them?

If you want to be involved in this 'reimagination' effort, let me know what you would tell the aliens.

Oh yeah, I got a little carried away: Hello and welcome back to the News Alchemists newsletter! I hope you will enjoy this week's links 📚

1. Why create a need when you can meet a need? 👉 LINK

I don't know that for a fact, but I like to think that we all have our personal heroes in this little, strange journalism industry. I, for sure, have many: people I would find inspiring even if they were reading their grocery list. 🧞Rishad Patel, half of the powerhouse known as Splice Media, is one of them. Just watch or listen to this interview on all things engagement, and it will be obvious why.

(The interview is part of the excellent Redefining Engagement series by Contribly, a treasure trove of insightful conversations on the topic of audience engagement.)

2. Reframing the monitorial citizen: a new contract for news media 👉 LINK

"A new contract [between news media and its audience] is needed: a commitment that reframes the traditional consumer-producer relationship into one of co-creation, with journalists and communities working together to produce this essential public good. [...] The new contract between journalists and the public will frame journalism as an act of citizenship rather than an entity for and separate from citizens."

When thinking of reframing what journalism is, it's always a good idea to read 🧞Darryl Holliday, co-founder of Chicago's civic media lab 🧩 City Bureau, now of Commoner Company.

3. Five myths of community design 👉 LINK

In recent years, some journalism organisations have decided to embrace the role of community builders, including creating a community platform for their readers. I'm involved in one of these efforts as part of my consulting work, and I have already shared some examples in this newsletter – 'Spaces' by Village Media in #7 to name one. This 2019 article by 🧞Andrew Losowsky of The Coral Project reflects on five myths to be aware of when designing a community platform:

• Myth 1: Everyone should be able to be reached by everyone.
• Myth 2: You can trust the crowd.
• Myth 3: Communities should be addictive.
• Myth 4: Moderation can be performed by algorithms.
• Myth 5: Bigger is better.

4. How informal networks can strengthen local news 👉 LINK

"How did you last learn about something happening in your community — a newspaper or a neighbor? [...] The informal ways that people share news and information with each other are a cornerstone of how people stay informed about what’s happening where they live." Interesting interview with 🧞Heather Chaplin, director of the Journalism + Design lab at The New School, that reminds us that journalism organisations don't have a monopoly on local news – and that's a good thing.

5. These newsrooms are trying to boost trust through transparency. Is it working? 👉 LINK

"Journalistic transparency has often been proposed as a way of combating the decline in trust in news. The idea goes that if publications explained their process by showing how their news is made, then audiences would be more trusting." Is that actually what happens in reality, asks this piece by the Reuters Institute? The answer: it's complicated.

6. Why our future depends on protected spaces 👉 LINK

"That's what we need now: protected areas for uncomfortable truths and complexity. Not just newsrooms, but dinner tables, group chats, classrooms, gatherings that foster unlikely alliances - anywhere we can still speak honestly, listen deeply, and dare to imagine." Many links I have shared in previous editions showed the value of journalism organisations creating physical spaces and other opportunities to meet their audience IRL. In this inspiring post, 🧞Natalia Antelava, co-founder of non-profit newsroom 🧩 Coda Media, adds one layer to the conversation with the concept of 'protected spaces'.

7. Can an 'About' page give you hope? 👉 LINK

That's not the headline of the link I'm sharing, but a question I'm posing as an excuse to tell you that, yes, an About page can give you hope – or, at least, 🧩 Zetland's does:

The six principles behind our journalism:

1. We are our members
2. We do not contribute to information overload
3. We try to explain, not simplify, the world
4. We fight cynicism and search for solutions
5. Our technology is human-friendly
6. We are passionate about our journalism and honest about everything we do

(To close the circle, from the first link to the seventh: in 2022, Rishad wrote this excellent piece about what defines a good 'About' page.)

What is this newsletter?

The relationship between journalism and the people it aims to serve is broken. But we can heal it if we learn to put audiences and communities at the centre of everything we do. The News Alchemists newsletter wants to help you to do just that.

Every week I share seven links to give you some hope and to introduce you to the many smart, kind, and courageous people (🧞) who strive every day to use journalism as a force for good in society – and to the organisations (🧩) that show us that a different journalism is possible, and profitable.

To respond to this newsletter, just hit reply. I love hearing from you and reading your questions, comments, and suggestions.

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