How Journalists Engage: A Theory of Trust Building, Identities, and Care

Journalists should prioritize listening and learning within communities instead of propping up problematic institutions, according to Sue Robinson's theory of trust building in engagement journalism. This movement mobilizes the nurturing of personal, organizational, and institutional relationships that people have with information, sources, news brands, journalists, and each other, resulting in a more intentional and effective moral voice focused on justice and equity through the news practice of an ethic of care.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 27 July 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Journalists can develop a new theory of trust-building in engagement journalism by prioritizing listening and learning within communities over propping up problematic institutions. In her book, How Journalists Engage, Sue Robinson explores how journalists of different identities, particularly racial, can enact trusting relationships with their audiences. Through case studies, community work, interviews, and focus groups, Robinson documents a growing built environment around trust-building and engagement journalism, representing the first major paradigm shift in the press's core values in over a century.

Robinson argues that journalists are being trained to take on new roles and skillsets around listening and learning, in addition to their traditional roles as watchdogs and storytellers. She demonstrates how this movement mobilizes the nurturing of personal, organizational, and institutional relationships that people have with information, sources, news brands, journalists, and each other. By developing a new theory of trust-building, Robinson calls for journalists to grapple actively with their own identities, including the privileges, biases, and marginalization attached to them, and those of their communities. This results in a more intentional and effective moral voice focused on justice and equity through the news practice of an ethic of care.

Robinson's approach emphasizes the importance of building relationships of trust with audiences, which can be achieved through empathy, transparency, and a commitment to ethical journalism. She suggests that journalists should focus on providing accurate, unbiased information and engaging with communities in a meaningful way, rather than simply promoting their own agendas or perpetuating harmful stereotypes. By adopting an ethic of care, journalists can help to create a more informed and equitable society and contribute to the long-term health of the press.

Weight: 384g
Dimension: 235 x 156 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197667125