Winter 1997
Feedback: Attitudes Toward Civic Journalism
Civic journalism was one of the key issues covered in a survey of 554 media executives nationwide in the spring and summer of 1997. The survey was conducted by Ketchum Public Relations Worldwide on behalf of The Associated Press Managing Editors and the Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Mass Communications. The survey’s goal was to determine the executives’ opinions on undergraduate and graduate journalism education, continuing journalism education and other key issues being debated in the journalism community. Respondents were asked to use the following scale to indicate how strongly they agreed or disagreed with the following statements. Strongly
Agree Strongly
Disagree Somewhat
Agree/Disagree
For many news organizations,”civic journalism” has become an important means of enabling them to “reconnect” with their alienated communities by paying much more attention than they have in the past to what people think.
7.4% 34.4 56.1
Having newspapers sponsor and conduct “citizens’ juries” or”citizens’ forums” at which those in the community can discuss issues ofimportance to the public usuallyresults in better reporting andcoverage of community issues.
14.1% 33.0 51.1
Those who practice “civic”or “public journalism” unfortunately cross the line between reporting and advocacy — putting journalism’s ebbing credibility in further peril.
34.8% 33.9 29.2
“Public journalism” is little more than boosterism; it’s agimmick to make publishers feel better about themselves.
41.0% 32.7 24.0