It's not that I want you to change everything you do. The trick, he says, is integrating the approach embodied in community conversations into everyday interviews, listening rather than grilling, going beyond the quick quote. By contrast, pulling out, then continuing to cover the conflicting values raised in conversations generates interesting stories. This approach also helps to genuinely move the community through an issue. A routinized public journalism approach has meant a dual approach to some stories.
Formal conversations take a lot of time to set up.
On a daily basis, there's far more discussion before reporting starts. Reporters tend to like the work, though those who most naturally understand the approach are the biggest skeptics. For others, public journalism opens the door to stories with more force. It's going to be wrong and no one in Norfolk's going to give a rat's patootie because they don't see themselves. Instead, the resulting stories contrasted the deteriorating neighborhood with a successful one, focusing on hopes, potential and actions.