Being on the same page

It is not certain that all the people involved in a project agree on the meaning of the words we will have to use. At first, it can be helpful to take some time to clarify. Experiences from an experimental program

In 2023, the Rita Allen Foundation, collaborating with the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University (New Jersey), funded 12 collaborative projects bridging local journalism and "civic science." The projects and organizations involved varied greatly. For example, Cicero Independiente (a small local media outlet publishing in English and Spanish in the Chicago metropolitan area) worked alongside MuckRock (an independent site focused on government transparency and accountability) and Columbia University's Brown Institute for Media Innovation to measure air quality in Cicero and identify new ways to engage journalists and local communities.

Another project involved WITF (a public media organization), Climate Solutions/StateImpact Pennsylvania (a team of journalists specializing in climate and impacts), and the Sankofa African American Theater Company in producing a play titled "Not-So-Tall Tale About Climate Change." Each project could follow its direction, but all groups from these collaborations had to meet five times a year to share their progress. It was during these meetings that experts from Montclair State University were able to gather best practices, which, according to them, were evident even before the completion of the projects.

The findings of this experiment, which was replicated this year with a fresh round of funding for collaborative projects, are documented and available online. The report delves into these findings, but we would like to underscore a few key points. 

• The first, crucial for those in communications, is the necessity for all participants in a project to share a common understanding of terms like "civic science." It's not uncommon for communication or journalism projects to commence with partners who each have their own interpretation of science, participation, or other central aspects of the project. Therefore, it's imperative to invest time at the project's inception to align these understandings and prevent potential misunderstandings.

• A second interesting aspect that emerged is that all groups underestimated the time required for the projects they proposed. This was particularly true for nearly all projects involving data collection. These processes are time-consuming and require significant attention. They must be carefully planned and cannot be improvised.

• A third aspect is that the American experiments demonstrated the effectiveness of collaboration between journalists/communicators and scientists at the local level. Communication projects often focus on broad scenarios induced by commissioning bodies. While these can sometimes be successful, they usually lead to efforts that are not rewarded, causing frustration. This is a complex and somewhat delicate issue related to expected impacts. However, the insight from the Montclair State University report is to start projects with careful planning, including this aspect.

Read the complete report.