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“Real” people, please!

Natalie Yahr

Public engagement and marketing intern

Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism

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What do you mean “real”?

  • Directly impacted
  • For policy issues: Potential voters?

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We want them...

  • To put the issue in human context
  • For color
  • For the “characters” that drive stories
  • To understand how the issue actually plays out

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...but they can be tricky!

  • Often not affiliated
  • Elusive or “squirrelly”
  • Unfamiliar with the media
    • May have realistic or unrealistic fears
    • Consequences may be unexpected
    • Ethical questions for journalists

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Conventional approaches

  • Through professionals
    • Doctors, lawyers, scientists
  • Hearings
  • Letters to the editor
  • Community or group meetings

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The road less traveled

  • Surveys
  • Story-specific tiplines
  • Online communities

Note: Your approach will depend on how important secrecy is to your story.

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Public callouts

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From ProPublica:

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Do You Know Someone Struggling With Video Gambling? ​Help Us Understand Video Slot and Poker Addiction in Illinois.

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Tiplines

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Modes

  • Text
  • Email
  • Phone
  • WhatsApp
  • Mail
  • Etc.

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Secure vs. unsecure

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Our marijuana callout yielded 12 tips

  • Four Google Voice texts
  • Eight emails

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Tech tools

  • Google Voice
  • Groundsource
  • Google Forms
  • Canva

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Google Voice

Note: Google Voice is designed for personal use. Got a budget for public engagement? Consider Groundsource.

  • Free phone service with voicemail, text messaging, call forwarding
  • Select a phone number
  • Local area codes available
  • Can ring to your cell phone (with ID)
  • Check texts and voicemails on phone app or computer

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Canva

  • Free, easy-to-use graphic design tool
  • Great for sharing on social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter)

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Google Forms

  • Free tool for creating forms
  • Send, embed or post with bit.ly

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Be text-friendly

Why not give potential sources another way to communicate with you?

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Tag away… and consider targeted outreach

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Make community connections

  • Attend meetings
  • Join Facebook groups
    • With lead time
    • Be respectful of the space
    • Send direct messages
  • Share prior coverage so they can picture what you’re doing
  • Ask people to share the callout

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Where to learn more:

  • ProPublica’s “Get Involved” page
  • Joymayer.com
  • http://tinyurl.com/propublica5things
  • www.listeningpostcollective.org
    • Esp. Playbook & Toolbox

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