First published: June 29, 2006
It is an amazing feel to realize American media leaders have caught up to the ideas and practices we have taught at Loyalist College for the past seven years.
Our educate, engage and empower model just echoes throughout these halls. Nearly every panel so far this morning has mentioned educating people and themselves; engaging audiences and empowering people.
Presenter Tom Rosenstiel, of Project on Excellence in Journalism, spoke about the new role for journalism.
People who work in newsroom should be:
1. Autheticator – we figure out what is going on – what is true; what is not
2. Sense-maker – help people understand and assimilate the news. Already done on some level, like Rick Mercer, but we need to add credibility
3. Uncover – take a lot of time or resources – watchdog adn investigative journalism
4. Monitor the entire debate – segmenting to places where they go for affirmation experience. Already agree. Convene contrary views. Useful in civil society.
5. Place congregate – more than any other single institution
6. Enable compliment train work with embrace citizens who want to communicate with each other. Help problem: MSM are bad guys who screwed up news. Where we compliment and raise up these things
This is very interesting. But, he comes back to the essential principles. We are seekers of truth, says Helen Thomas.