This section is about learning how to build a dialogue with communities. By engaging with the audience, journalists can build trust and help foster community dialogue. The more involved and engaged with their audience and community, the deeper the trust and loyalty journalists can build. Much of this material was generated either by or in partnership with Cortico and its communication conversation program called Local Voices Network. Many thanks especially to Colleen Butler for her work on this content and her generosity in sharing it.
- Master Document: Discussion Prompts, Class Exercises, Readings, and Project Ideas for Community Dialogues
- Presentation: Community Dialogues: Discussion Strategies
- Presentation: Facilitating Community Dialogues: The Basics
- Presentation: Facilitator Orientation
- Handout: Discussion Strategies
- Handout: Local Voices Network Facilitation Handbook & Guide
- Handout: An Inclusive Media Handbook and Guide (How Cortico approaches community conversations; tips and tricks to doing this work)
- Sample Scripts (these include mention of the audio database of similar conversations; skip that part if you do not have access to one yet. But the idea is you can use previous conversations — eg from a previous class — to inform these as well.)
- Sample conversation invitation language to send to community members
- Sample conversation agreements to send to community members ahead of the conversation (and to go over as the meeting starts)
Sue Robinson, PhD 