by Manuel Chavez, Ph.D., Michigan State University
and Amy Schmitz Weiss, Ph.D., San Diego State University

The Elusive Challenge of Infusing Public Input in the News Process

It is no surprise to see how media companies in the United States are solving their economic problems, especially as related to the print industry: layoffs, hiring freezing, page reduction, international bureaus closings, and ultimately draconian newsroom reductions. The crisis has been more severe here than in other parts of the world mainly because of a voracious economic model that relied heavily in captive traditional advertising. And yes, as one travels to countries in Europe, Latin America, and Asia is startling to see the vitality, size, and variation of newspapers and weekly magazines, simply put: newsstands and traditional press kiosks are alive and well.

There is one international example that shows a successful form of news production with public input that stands out in these challenging times. It is surprising if not paradoxical that a news organization in Mexico for almost twenty years has practiced the inclusion of the public (readers and community members) into the process of creating more attractive and relevant news products from print to websites. [Read more...]