Journalism that matters in a world gone mad
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The stories that we tell ourselves shape the way we see the world. And that shapes our behavior. As cultural storytellers, journalists influence the narratives we share. In 1999, a racially motivated shooting sparked my eighteen-year journey working with journalists to reinvent their work so that people, communities, and democracy thrive.
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Journalism that matters in a world gone mad
- 1. JOURNALISM THAT MATTERS IN A WORLD GONE MAD Peggy Holman @peggyholman peggy@peggyholman.com www.journalismthatmatters.org COS Conference October 18-22, 2017 Noordwjik, Netherlands
- 2. HEED THE CALL August 10, 1999 The stories that we tell ourselves shape the way we see the world. And that shapes our behavior. Journalists are cultural storytellers. The stories they’re telling us aren’t serving us well. What can I do?
- 3. FIND ALLIES What would it take to have a national conversation about the future of journalism? 2000 2017 Listen. Connect. Trust. How do we elevate engagement for communities to thrive?
- 4. LISTEN AND EXPERIMENT 2005 Journalism that matters for the 21st century 2008 Journalists & technologists 2011 Journalists & librarians 2014 engagementhub.org 2015, 2017 Journalists and community connectors of all sorts 2010, 2011 Journalists of color 2012 Incorporated as nonprofit How do you change a social system?
- 5. REFLECT AND EVOLVE 2008 2015 While staying true to the call What are we learning?
- 6. PERSIST Participants stretched, refreshed, and inspired to pursue innovations New and often unlikely partnerships form Breakthroug h initiatives are underway A community of engaged journalism innovators exists A culture of engaged journalism is growing To spreading seeds From spitting in the wind… When in doubt, keep going
- 7. PASS THE TORCH Meaningful Inclusive Generative Trustworthy Transparen t Journalism matters most when it is of, by, and for the people. How can journalism contribute to civil discourse? Engaged
- 8. HOW DO SOCIAL SYSTEMS CHANGE? Emergence: Complexity in action Adapted from Peggy Holman, Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into Opportunity., 2010 Emerging
- 9. DESIGN FOR EMERGENCE Adapted from Peggy Holman, Complexity, Self-organization, and Emergence in Dialogic Organization Development, 2015 Engage • Support authentic expression • Encourage connection Create a container holding compassion and curiosity • Focus through generative questions • Invite diversity • Welcome who and what comes
Editor's Notes
- Journalism that matters in a world gone mad (session description) The stories that we tell ourselves shape the way we see the world. And that shapes our behaviour. As cultural storytellers, journalists influence the narratives we share. In 1999, a racially motivated shooting sparked my seventeen-year journey working with journalists to reinvent their work so that people, communities, and democracy thrive. Peggy is the award-winning author of Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into Opportunity, author of The Change Handbook, Executive Director of Journalism That Matters. This is my story of what I did when I didn’t know what to do. Told retrospectively, as all stories are, gives it the benefit of some reflection on what we’ve done over the last 18 years.
- It began with a racially motivated shooting. Because journalists are cultural storytellers, I thought they have a role in creating the conditions to prevent this sort of tragedy. Since story telling is an aspect of the work I do with groups, I wondered how I could help.
- A friend who was a former journalist connected me with Stephen Silha. Stephen made a connection that led us to the president of a national media organization. He asked us What would it take to have a national conversation about the future of journalism. And we were off. Today, a much more diverse mix is involved. Of the 2,000 we’ve touched directly, many are thought leaders. We influence the influencers.
- To date, we’ve hosted 20 gatherings. And we’ve tried connecting people through a “hub”. We always strive to bring the “whole system” present. That’s evolved as journalism continues to change. We’ve also worked at the intersections, with librarians, technologists, and others. A turning point happened in 2015 when our theme was engagement – an idea that has made its way into the language of journalists, though most think it means clicks, not relationships.
- Periodically, we’d reflect on what we were learning. In 2015, we started using Developmental Evaluation in hopes of extending the reach of what emerged from the gatherings. It’s paid off as it’s made clear we are evolving to look at journalism in the context of a larger system of civic communications that puts community at the center.
- Through the years, we often asked if it was over because it often felt like we were spitting in the wind. Still, people told us they were changed, that they found partners and took on ambitious projects, like a news site that does global news for a local audience. Since 2015, when our theme focused on engagement, we began to see our alumni using the practices they experienced to engage their communities. A community of practice is taking form as we speak. And the ideas of community-centered journalism, inclusion and engagement are making their way into the broader journalism community.
- After 18 years, I’m looking to step back and there are younger people stepping in. My questions have become much more specific. As I sit with the role that journalism can play in overcoming polarization through civil discourse, I am convinced that the next step for journalism is to become more generative – telling stories that open up possibilities, and inspire people to engage with each other across differences.
- One last element. My own work is in the dynamics of change in social systems like organizations and communities. By studying what science teaches us about complexity, I’ve seen a pattern that guides my understanding of change. All change starts with disruption. It’s an emotional roller coaster, some reacting with fear or anger, others with excitement. As things fall apart, experiments surface the differences that make a difference. And ultimately, new assumptions emerge. For journalism, I hope they are about inclusion, engagement, and generative storytelling.
- Our gatherings are designed to support people to move through disruption, differentiation and coherence by creating a container that makes space for indivdual expression and connection, and finding meaning that connects us on behalf of the common good.