Trusting News

As we've seen since Election Day, the demands of the news cycle are neverending. As journalists, how can we responsibly cover the news without alienating our communities and burning ourselves out? Some ideas.?? *Give people permission to step?away. People are tired, and a lot of people don't want to pay attention to the news. Can we extend empathy and tell them it's OK to take a break? *Help them navigate the news. It’s rational for journalists to be frustrated or feel hopeless by the state of people’s information diets. But the fundamental way people are consuming news is changing, and it’s up to us to adapt and help our audience through it. *Remind them what we have in common. As a community voice, journalists have some power in what we direct people’s attention to. Could some of that attention be drawn to reminding people of what we have in common? In our newsletter this week, we highlight some research you can include in your reporting that highlights commonalities. https://lnkd.in/g-g-DEKU Maybe most importantly: Make sure to also take care of yourself. We should all be taking some time to step away, spend time with loved ones and tune out.

The majority of people are *not* political news junkies (research indicates about 80-85% follow politics casually or not at all). Most people aren't tied to their phones, waiting for updates on Trump's Cabinet picks. Instead, most people want to be able to casually tune in and get highlights of what's going on. So how can we make sure we're serving those audiences? We have some ideas on how to do that here. https://lnkd.in/gyyaN9zT

Thanks to all the journalists who are still covering and providing sensemaking around last week’s election. If you're feeling a lack of control -- around facts and messaging -- or are surprised by how people in your community and across the country voted, our team shared some thoughts and ideas to help. Also, our team is available to provide support in whatever ways feel helpful. Please don't hesitate to reach out by sending us a message here or emailing us at [email protected]. https://lnkd.in/gAJhCDNM

Thanks, journalists, for all your work yesterday and all the work still to come. At Trusting News, we immerse ourselves in public perceptions of journalism and suggest ways to respond. I’ve been reading coverage, commentary and comments, and I just updated?our doc of suggested language?with thoughts based on themes from this morning. We’ll continue adding to it. Let us know what you’re seeing from your community. And we’re happy to help craft responses if it would be useful. Email [email protected]. https://lnkd.in/e-PF7Jk5

This is where our team is hanging out today, helping journalists respond to questions or accusations that arise.

Remember as journalists, we can help set accurate expectations for how voting works. In all our election coverage, remind folks that vote counting takes time, and that if we don't know the winner on election night, that's not a sign of dysfunction or chaos. Here's some suggested language for explaining it (feel free to borrow any of this language and use it in your reporting or social posts): >> Sample language: Elections in the U.S. are highly decentralized and complex. While some states start counting mailed ballots before the election, other states wait until Election Day. While uncontested or landslide races may be called right after polls close, competitive races may take days, or even weeks to call. This is normal and it's expected. Here's a link to an AP explainer that details why: https://lnkd.in/g6BG_dCN We're compiling language and responses to common themes we're seeing coming up around the election. Keep it handy, and use any language that feels helpful. https://lnkd.in/gHfDVUPx

If our Trusting News team has two wishes for newsrooms covering the election week, they are: 1. Remind your audience often — perhaps even in a box with every story — how elections work. Tell them we might not know who won on Election Day, and that won’t be a sign of fraud. Tell them you will investigate and report accusations of fraud if they arise. *** This is a google doc our team is updating all week with suggested language for explaining both elections AND news coverage of elections. Keep it handy, and steal any helpful language. https://lnkd.in/gisvNQBJ 2. Remember that criticism or accusations about your journalism can be a great opportunity to earn trust and make your integrity visible. Watch comments and feedback for specific themes, and take time to address them rather than ignoring them. Let us know if you could use our team’s support figuring out how to respond by sending us a message or emailing us through [email protected].

If people are confused, have questions, or are doubting the fairness and accuracy of your election coverage — and of election results and processes — we as journalists need to be ready to respond. If you struggle to know which comments to respond to, or how to not have a defensive tone in your response, we can help. As part of the Election Urgent Care Slack, via Knight Foundation and Votebeat, we're offering real-time support to help newsrooms and journalists draft responses?to election accusations and misinformation. Here's how you can request help. >> https://lnkd.in/guTWNE8k

This is a great roundup from Knight Foundation of resources to help newsrooms and journalists cover Election Day and whatever happens next. It includes our pre-written explainers journalists can copy/paste to help their audience know what to expect when it comes to vote counting and accusations of election fraud. Access them for free here. >> https://lnkd.in/gcA6MySZ

Many news organizations overuse breaking news labels and alerts. (Polls closing is not breaking news - we knew that was going to happen!) This can provoke people's anxiety around the election, and it can make them want to tune out responsible news coverage altogether. Instead, let's rework our updates to feel more helpful, and less overwhelming. More ideas from Lynn Walsh on how to do that here. https://lnkd.in/g_t8b4TV