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The Recipe: Dialogue Journalism

Spaceship Media partners with the Center for Collaborative Journalism in Macon, Georgia

We’re very glad to be working on a student-driven, semester-long project at Mercer University's Center for Collaborative Journalism. Along with news partners The Telegraph, Georgia Public Broadcasting, and 13WMAZ, we will be working with CCJ on their project Macon Food Story to address issues of food deserts, food insecurity and health, as well as the role food plays in the culture and communities of Central Georgia.

Talking TED

Cofounder and CEO Eve Pearlman on the power of conversation

Spaceship Media CEO & cofounder Eve Pearlman spoke about the development of dialogue journalism and the power of conversation and connection: “We have found that real dialogue is in fact possible. That when given a chance to do it and a structure in which to do it, many — not all, but many — of our fellow citizens are eager to engage ‘the other.’” Eve spoke in New York City at the TED Salon: Up for Debate, a partnership between TED and Doha Debates to “examine the rules of genuine human engagement, to find common ground for respectful, passionate discourse and to celebrate civility.” Eve's full talk is here.

Working with Medill

Spaceship Media is delighted to be partnering with Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism Bay Area Immersion Experience this winter. We’re working with students in the class, “Media Innovation and Silicon Valley’s Startup Culture: The Good, the Bad and (lately, mostly) Ugly,” taught by CALMatters Publisher & COO Marcia Parker. Her students come from business, engineering, journalism and design backgrounds and will be working with Spaceship to devise solutions to some of the challenges that Spaceship Media and other innovative journalism organizations face in today’s news landscape.

“Determined to pursue transparency and engagement”

Spaceship worked with The Fresno Bee and Arizona State University News Co/Lab on Crossing the Line, one of several initiatives that Bee editor Joe Kieta launched to increase trust, transparency and community connection. “We have an abiding belief that the more journalists and their communities know about each other, the communities and newsrooms will both benefit,” writes ASU’s Dan Gillmor in this piece.

Listen to the Middle

In Finding Reason in Difficult Conversations, an article by University of Oregon’s School of Journalism Chair in Journalism Innovation and Civic Engagement, Andrew DeVigal provides resources for how to engage with people who hold opposing beliefs. DeVigal emphasizes the need “to make room for reasonable discussion and listen to learn and understand.”

Nieman Predicts! Journalism 2019

Curious to know what lies ahead for our news feeds, televisions, wrists, front lawns, and wherever else we get our news? So is Nieman Lab, who published their annual “Nieman Predictions for Journalism 2019.” Some of our favorite predictions have to do with the critical role of conversation in local news, newsrooms prioritizing connection to community, increasing numbers of local news collaborations, and journalists advocating for more civic engagement. They’re all here.

Happy January!