WellCommons.com:
Breaking down the barriers
between journalists
and the community
JONATHAN GROVES, PH.D
DRURY UNIVERSITY
APRIL 20, 2012
#ISOJ 2012
@grovesprof

Journalists Community
@grovesprof

Civic journalism
Participatory
journalism
@grovesprof

People inside and outside the newsroom are
engaged in communicating not only to, but
also with, one another. In doing so, they are
all participating in the ongoing processes of
creating a news website and building a
multifaceted community.
— Participatory Journalism (2011)
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@grovesprof

@grovesprof

Research questions
• What types of stories are being
contributed?
• What types of sources are being used?
• How are people interacting?
@grovesprof

Content analysis
• 705 posts, April 2010 — June 2010
– Analyzed for story type
• 1,137 users, February 2010 — February 2012
– Analyzed professions, identities
• 6,408 interactions, February 2010 — February
2012
– Analyzed posts, reposts, comments
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Stories
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Sources
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InteractionsExcluding joining groups
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I used to send news releases to the
paper, and they seldom resulted in
stories. Now, we don’t have editors
deciding what is newsworthy. We get to
post our news, and then our community
can decide if it is worth reading.
— MARILYN HULL,
DOUGLAS COUNTY
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
@grovesprof

1,449 interactions (23%)
10 power users responsible for 2,743
(43%) of 6,408 interactions
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Relay for Life
There are no words to describe how much
Susan touched my life in such a short period of
time. She allowed me and photographer Nick
Krug to document her journey with brain
cancer. Despite the cancer's toll on her body
and mind, she remained optimistic and positive
— even while on hospice. She was looking
forward to her new life with God.
@grovesprof

@grovesprof

Journalists Community
@grovesprof
30,000 unique visitors
130,000 page views