Future of Journalism-Spring 2020: Case Study: Local News in Champaign-Urbana
Taught by: Nikki Usher, Ph.D., nusher@illinois
Mondays 10 a.m. -11:50, RM Greg 336
This class is intended to spur debate and critical thinking about the future of journalism. The goal of this course is to educate you about the biggest issues facing journalism today as well as to introduce you to some of the most exciting new developments in the field. We will be approaching this from a US-based perspective, but as many of you are from elsewhere, I hope to take advantage of your area expertise.
This semester, we are living through the upheaval of our own local media landscape. Our local newspaper, The News-Gazette, is experiencing significant change. In August of 2019, the family-owned newspaper filed for bankruptcy and announced it would be selling the newspaper and three radio properties, along with community weeklies and other assets, to another family-owned newspaper company, the Community Media Group. Changes immediately followed, including cutting the Monday print edition and the elimination of delivery to rural areas outside Champaign-Urbana; The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, and other national newspapers at first were no longer being delivered in our area, and now, it is unclear and somewhat sporadic (as of this class, a Sunday print New York Times could not be located at the Urbana library).
To some of our community, the newspaper is a sacred institution that holds the keys to community life, from marking high school football championships to Illini sports triumphs. To other members of our community, the newspaper’s legacy is one of racial profiling in crime coverage. The News-Gazette has consistently made space for defenders of Chief Illiniwek to distance themselves from accusations of racism in letters to the editor and other venues. While many of the leading thinkers about the future of journalism suggest that newspapers must be nonprofit if they are to survive, The News-Gazette is a cautionary tale of a for-profit newspaper run by a non-profit trust that couldn’t make it, tax advantages and all.
What happened to The News-Gazette? What is happening to local news in the US more generally? Why? What are the effects on democracy of losing the news? We will explore these questions in broad strokes, as industry trends and as scholarly investigations, but we will also ask them about our own community — we are living in an area where the largest, original producer of news content specific to our community is on the decline. However, we are also incredibly fortunate to live in a highly-educated area with many other resources from which to get our news, including WILL, a nationally-recognized public media service owned and operated by the College of Media that provides both radio and public television as a PBS and NPR member station, not to mention two local digital sites, Smile Politely and Chambana Moms. We’ll spend the second half of our semester thinking about what happens when (not if) The News-Gazette no longer is able to operate in our community.
Your output includes three shorter stories of the course of the semester, which we will aim to publish on CU-Citizen Access, pending quality and edits. More about course policy below the reading assignments. I will allow you to collaborate in reporting teams as long as we have ongoing conversations about divisions of labor. You may turn in any work in the form you prefer best, text, video, audio; a data interactive or photo essay must stand on its own, and we will discuss how co-authorship might work. Obviously, plagiarism is cause for failing the class.
This is a brand new class, created as a lab for trying to understand our own changing news ecology. Readings and assignments are subject to change!
As a basic requirement, please regularly read, watch, and listen to the following news and information about our community. We will be talking about one local television newscast a week, and you will be asked to report back on what you read. As per last semester, continue your news-about-news reading and email lists that Brant suggested.
The News-Gazette; The Daily Illini
WILL (especially The 21st!); CU-Citizen Access
Local Television: WCIA (WCIX), WAND, WCIS
Digital Local Media: Chambana Moms, Smile Politely
Grading: 25% participation; 20 % Story 1; 25 % Story 2; 30 % Story 3/presentation
Part I: Understanding Why Local News Media Matters
1/27: Why news matters to democracy (Does it?)
Introduction and first class. Discussion of plans for the semester. Come to class having read this material.
Josh Stearns: How we know journalism is good for democracy
John Wihbey: Racial Bias and News Media Reporting.
Book review (1979) of Herbert Gans’ Deciding What’s News, penned by first NPR president
Danielle Kilgo: What do we want? Unbiased Reporting. When do we want it? During Protests.
Zach Beauchamp: The Media’s Biggest Bias is its Centrism
2/3: What is a News Desert?
Come to class prepared to discuss how we will begin our media census of Champaign Urbana and your potential contributions. We will be looking at the available media landscape, focusing less on content than outlet/availability.
*possible guest lecture via skype with Katie McCullough of Augustana College
What is a news desert? …. Penelope Muse Abernathy: The expanding local news desert (the intro works, but this is a fascinating study to read in full)
From Pew, scroll to Universe of Local News Providers (you may want to print)
Philip M. Napoli, Matthew Weber, Katie McCollough, and Qun Wang: Assessing Local Journalism: News Deserts, Journalism Divides, and the Determinants of the Robustness of Local News — pay attention to the method, esp. p. 6–10, 17, 18.
How do people use and experience local news? See Pew, 2019: For Local News, Americans Embrace Digital but Still Want Strong Community Connection
Josh Darr, Johanna Dunaway, Matthew Hitt: Want to Reduce Political Polarization? Save your newspaper.
2/10: News Deserts and Community Information Needs
Come to class prepared to discuss your progress on your portion of the Media Census.
A USC+ team contribution: Critical Information Needs (please review p. 1–45 esp., but scan all). Want to know what happened to this report? Check out this op-ed and then google “FCC Commissioner”; Shortcut here for critical info needs, Appendix C
Laura Hazard Owen: The Rich/Poor Divide Extends to Local News;
Dee Davis: Speak Your Piece: In A Desert, Any Oasis Will Do
Nikki Usher: All Systems Down
2/17: Trust and the News Media
Come to class prepared to discuss how we will publish and present our media census. All your work should be complete. We will begin our next phase of reporting on our own media landscape, so please also be prepared to start brainstorming how we ask our own community about what they want and what they need from news.
Knight Foundation: Indicators of Media Trust;
Joshua Benton: Here’s How Much Americans Trust 38 News Organizations (Hint: Not Much)
David Domke, Matt Watts; Dhavan V Shah, David P Fan: The Politics of Conservative Elites and the “Liberal Media” argument (scan intro, literature, findings, discussion, it’s from 1999).
This is a very helpful article about the moral panic of filter bubbles and selective exposure in the social media world. Frederik J. Zuiderveen Borgesius, Damian Trilling, Judith Möller, Balázs Bodó, Claes H. de Vreese, Natali Helberger: Should We Worry About Filter Bubbles?
Part II: Understanding the News Needs of a Community
2/24: Assessing Community News Needs
Media census article/presentation is due
EDIT, Article due 3/2
*Possible guest lecture from an engagement editor
Planning for our next project: Assessing Community News
Tamar Wilner, Gina Masullo Chen: What People Want to Know About News (please look at the Center for Media Engagement, awesome stuff on here!)
Andrea Wenzel and L.D. Crittenden (Illinois ICR alum!): Making Suburban News More Inclusive
Kip Dooley: Chicago’s local media ecosystem — please see in particular p. 25
P. Kim Bui: How Journalists Can Better Cover Neglected Communities.
Focus groups are ambitious for us given our time frame, but worth taking a look at Local News Lab’s Focus Group Guide for your interviews
ADD +7 to the date of readings going forward
3/2 is now 3/9: Engaged Journalism and Solutions Journalism
Planning for our next project: Assessing Community News — brainstorming questions
Andrew DeVigal: The Continuum of Engagement
Lindsay Green-Barber: Toward a Useful Typology of Engaged Journalism
Andrea Wenzel, Daniela Gerson, Evelyn Moreno: Engaging Communities Through Solution Journalism- some of my favorite people with USC ties put this together with the luck of decades of deep listening from the core research group I was part of in grad school. Please read carefully to hear voices of those who have been ignored or misrepresented by big media in LA.
For the counterpoint, please see Matt Hindman: Stickier News: What Newspapers Don’t Know About Web Traffic Has Hurt Them, Badly
3/9: Community News Needs in the Era of the Platform Press
Planning for our next project: Assessing Community News, update group with interview progress.
Tow Center for Digital Journalism: The Platform Press, part 1. Local News in the Platform Era: via Nick Diakopolous — on Apple; Google;
SPRING BREAK!
3/23: Community News Needs, Broken Business Models for News
Story is due.
Damien Geradin and Dimitrios Katsifis: An EU Competition law Analysis of Online Display Advertising in the Programmatic Age (this is the single best analysis I’ve read on digital advertising).
Tow Center for Digital Journalism: The Platform Press, II (focus on local news) Professor Usher’s book chapter on place and local advertising. Make me give this to you. Do not let me break this deadline. Thanks!!!
Part III: Community Resilience and Funding the News
If the News-Gazette goes the way of the dinosaurs, what happens? Our goal will be to think about the factors not just about our media in CU, but about our community, that show its strengths and weaknesses in information equity and access. We’ll think hard about what kind of revenue stream will sustain these outlets, what kind of revenue. Please insert a Jurassic Park joke here.
This section of the syllabus is particularly likely to change given our report-back from our media census efforts. Each of you will have the task of examining one or more of these local outlets to answer key questions about the news they provide and their future financial sustainability.
3/30: Local For-Profit Television
COMMUNITY NEWS PROJECT DUE!
This week, we will dig deep into our local television environment. What stories get covered, which stories do not. You should come to class prepared to discuss local television. If you do not have access to a television, we will talk about alternatives and digital media monitoring.
*possible guest lecture, Television
The Knight Foundation: Local TV News, the State of the Industry; The Future of Local TV News; The Local TV News Household Audience
FCC Broadcast ownership rules; Free Press (note, this is an anti-media consolidation group), 2014 Report on FCC Failures and Media Consolidation
For next week, we will divide up Membership Puzzle research insights.
4/6: Public Media: Promise and Peril
Visit from WILL*
Melody Joy Kramer and Betsy O’Donovan: F is for Future: How to Think About Public Media’s Next 50 Years
Andrea Wenzel: Sourcing Diversity: WHYY and the Rocky Road to Cultural Competency
Take a look at the Membership Puzzle.
Kevin D. Williamson: The Unbearable Whiteness of Being NPR
Steve Freiss: Why are Podcasts So White?
The University of Illinois and the limits to WILL
Planning for final project beings.
4/13: SUB! Economies of Scale in “Local Journalism”
How a nonprofit newspaper can go bankrupt…lecture from *
From Montclair State University: Collaborative Journalism
ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network; Tara George: The BBC’s Effort to Save Local Journalism; Center for Cooperative Media — 2018’s best projects
4/20: Local Digital Media Entrepreneurs and Indy-DIY Media; Libraries
*possible field trip to the Independent Media Center!
Indy Media! In Chambana!
Eryn Carlson: Journalism and Libraries: Both Exist to Extend Support to Strong, Well-Informed Communities
Mike Wright: Read all about it! County says no to New York Times
Kirk Johnson: Anti-Tax Fervor Closed Their Libraries
We’ll talk more about Chamabana Moms and Smile Politely, too.
Final project discussion, update.
4/27: 5G and the Rural Community: Staying Connected
John B. Horrigan: Analysis: The Digital Divide Isn’t Just a Rural Problem
Christopher Ali and Mark Duemmel: Reluctant Regulator: The Rural Utilities Service and American broadband policy
5/4: Final Presentations
UNIVERSITY BOILERPLATE/MY POLICIES
Attendance
As the UIUC Student Code states your attendance and participation is expected.
See: (http://admin.illinois.edu/policy/code/article1_part5_1-501.html).
In addition to the expectations of the Code, it’s just common sense that attendance is essential to doing well in the course. Missing class means missing material not found in the readings alone. If you miss class, get notes from a classmate. I do not recap lectures in email or in office hours, nor can “flipped” assignments be made up. I am more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt if you come regularly and I do not need excuse notes.
Academic Integrity
Please review and reflect on the academic integrity policy of the University of Illinois, http://admin.illinois.edu/policy/code/article1_part4_1-401.html to which we subscribe. By turning in materials for review, you certify that all work presented is your own and has been done by you independently, or as a member of a designated group for group assignments.
If, in the course of your writing, you use the words or ideas of another writer, proper acknowledgement must be given. Not to do so is to commit plagiarism, a form of academic dishonesty. If you are not absolutely clear on what constitutes plagiarism and how to cite sources appropriately, now is the time to learn. Please ask me!
Please be aware that the consequences for plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty will be severe. Students who violate university standards of academic integrity are subject to disciplinary action, including a reduced grade, failure in the course, and suspension or dismissal from the University.
Statement of Inclusion
http://www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu/chancellordivstmtswf.html#ValueStmt
As the state’s premier public university, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s core mission is to serve the interests of the diverse people of the state of Illinois and beyond. The institution thus values inclusion and a pluralistic learning and research environment, one in which we respect the varied perspectives and lived experiences of a diverse community and global workforce. We support diversity of worldviews, histories, and cultural knowledge across a range of social groups including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, abilities, economic class, religion, and their intersections.
Disability Statement
To obtain disability-related academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the course instructor and the Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) as soon as possible. To contact DRES you may visit 1207 S. Oak St., Champaign, call 333–4603 (V/TTY), or e-mail a message to disability@uiuc.edu.
Related student needs & concerns
Religious Accommodations: Please see here
Support & Self-Care: Physical and mental well-being are super important. Full stop. I am not qualified to assist you, but others are. Please see McKinley Health Center’s Mental Health Services or make an appointment at the UIUC Counseling Center (Emergency link here). Do not hesitate to contact the Student Assistance Center. Common reasons to reach out include: Academic difficulty due to physical or mental health issues; Extenuating life circumstances impacting academic performance and/or overall functioning; Seeking assistance finding or getting connected to support services on campus; Medical withdrawal and re-entry; To report a concern about the well-being or safety of themselves, another student, or the broader community; Seeking information about university policies and procedures; Difficulty with a professor or TA; Absence letters; Not sure where else to go. If you’re hungry and/or don’t have a place to sleep, see here- local campus food pantry options include these (via 2016). To report sexual misconduct, resources here.
Security: In the case of an emergency, if at all possible, the class should shelter in place. If the building that the class is in is affected, follow the evacuation procedures for the building. After evacuation, seek shelter at a predetermined rendezvous location.
FERPA: FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. When a student enrolls in an institution of higher education, he or she becomes subject to the FERPA regulations that govern all colleges and universities. Regardless of age, a student enrolled in a college or university must provide consent to any third party requesting access to his or her education records. A student’s education record may only be released to parents or other third parties under the following conditions listed in the guidance.
Time Spent on Class Work: UIUC federal credit hour definition: A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:
(1) one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or (2) at least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other activities as established by an institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.
Note: If you find yourself spending more than 12 hours for any typical week on this course, please see me. Note this is a 3 credit class.
OUR Course Policies
Approach to Teaching & My Expectations for You
Overall, my teaching philosophy might be summed up like this: you’re adults, it’s my job to inspire you to learn, but I can’t force you to do anything. I also believe that learning should be an active process — I’m not a big fan of just lecturing (and in fact, research shows that lecturing is often ineffective). But this means that you also have to be engaged and active in your learning process — the more you put in, the more you will get.
I am a big fan of college students and remember my college experience warmly (and from 2016–2018, lived in an 800-person dorm with my family!). As a result, I’m fairly reasonable when it comes to understanding the demands and difficulties outside the classroom. I am deeply committed to encouraging a quality experience here at Illinois both inside and outside the classroom.
Please treat both me and your classmates as if you were in a professional, work setting. This means having integrity, being inclusive and civil to your colleagues, and taking responsibility for your decisions. Please treat all digital communications seriously, with the knowledge that they will live on the internet, potentially forever.
Everyone in this class can get an A if they work. For some suggestions about study habits, please see this Vox article.
Communication Policy: I am generally quite responsive to emails, but if I have not responded in 48 hours, do ping me again. If the question is complicated and requires more than a two sentence explanation, please see me in my office. If one of your questions is in the syllabus, I will tell you: look in the syllabus. If one of your questions is on the assignment, I will tell you: look on the assignment. It’s a life skill to be able to look for information on your own. For future reference: how to email your professor. (PS, my honorific is Dr. or Professor, not Ms.) I expect to see professional emails from you, but I may often respond with just a quick yes or no and on my phone.
Laptop and Mobile/Smartwatch Policy: It’s your choice as all the research points out that laptops and phones hurt academic performance. But this is a social media class, so there is a case for having one of these devices. I am well-versed in spotting people who aren’t paying attention — again, meaningful participation is what matters.
Late Work: Generally not tolerated, but there are exceptions
Inclusion and Civility:
You may be offended at some point in the semester, be emotionally challenged by a reading or a discussion, or have other discomfort in the classroom related to much larger structural and societal issues. You’re in journalism or otherwise have enrolled in a class in this department. As an instructor, I will do my best to honor our respective differences and embrace our similarities, but I will not always be perfect. I’ll do my best, and if there is something I can do better, please see me. I do not specifically request you to identify your gender, race, ethnicity, but if you have an identity preference or pronoun that you think I should be aware of, let me know.
At times, there will be frank conversations about race, gender, ethnicity, violence, sexual assault, etc. that may be painful, frustrating, or even offensive to you. Note that given your chosen career, there are no trigger warnings. Do your best to figure out how to deal with the fact that sometimes, the world is not a pretty or a fair place.
Video/Audio: I might ask you to watch videos or podcasts on your own time that we will discuss in class. These will be available online as directed in the syllabus.
