The document discusses the BBC World Have Your Say (WHYS) program and its goal of giving audiences a bigger role in the news produced through discussion forums and direct participation. It outlines some experiments in open journalism that worked, such as inviting audience members to editorial meetings focused on issues rather than process, and some that did not work well, like an open-ended invitation for story suggestions. It provides guidance on choosing discussion topics based on evidence and considering all audience perspectives. It also discusses techniques for involving audiences that worked, such as direct on-air conversations, and those that did not, like offering total website control. Overall it emphasizes building trust with audiences through explanation, invitation and response.

1. BBC World Service radio Mon-Fri 1100 & 1700
GMT
BBC World News television Fridays at
1500GMT
facebook.com/worldhaveyoursay
@BBC_WHYS @BBCRosAtkins
worldhaveyoursay.com

5. WHY WE CREATED WHYS IN 2006:
To give the experiences and expertise of our
audience a bigger role in the news we produce
To create places where people can come together
to discuss events and issues of common interest
To use any available technology to help us do that

6. EXPERIMENTS IN OPEN JOURNALISM
Editorial meetings
What's worked: inviting people for a particular
meeting, focus on passion not process

10. EXPERIMENTS IN OPEN JOURNALISM
What hasn't worked: A never-ending
invitation to suggest stories

11. CHOOSING SUBJECTS –
US & THE COMMUNITY
Don’t ignore the evidence in front of your eyes – Tiger,
US elections…
Any online community leaves behind huge amounts of
data
Make sure you consider the people not leaving data
behind
Listen to suggestions, but use your judgement to
decide what works for the audience too

12. SOMETIMES A COMMUNITY GIVES AN
EXPLICIT MESSAGE...

14. SOMETIMES A COMMUNITY LEAVES CLUES...

17. HANDING CONTROL TO YOUR COMMUNITY
What's worked:
Direct on air conversations
Removing the traditional role of host
Let them ask the questions

22. HANDING CONTROL TO YOUR COMMUNITY
What hasn't worked: offering total control of parts
of our website…

24. LET THE EXPECTATIONS OF YOUR
COMMUNITY GUIDE YOU
The obligation to explain, invite and reply asks a
lot, but in return you get trust.
If they trust you, they’ll do a lot more to help.

27. ALLOWING A COMMUNITY'S INFLUENCE TO
SPREAD ACROSS YOUR ORGANISATION

31. COMMUNITY OFFERS SOMETHING DIFFERENT…

33. THINK AS MUCH ABOUT OTHER COMMUNITIES
AS YOUR OWN
Clear benefits to having a community
But there will always be more people talking outside
of your world than in it. Go to them.

34. @BBC_WHYS
@BBCRosAtkins