There’s so much a newsroom *can* do in the lead-up to an election. With limited resources, how do you figure out what your audience actually needs to feel informed at the ballot box? Ahead of Chicago’s Feb. 26 municipal elections, ONA Chicago is excited to welcome Hearken engagement consultant Julia Haslanger and IlliNoise Podcast host and producer Ellen Mayer for a hands-on session about strategies newsrooms are using to listen to their communities about what kind of local election news is relevant. We’ll also talk about ways that newsrooms can engage with racially diverse audiences, especially those who distrust electoral politics. We’ll take a look at chatbots, events, voter guides, short-term newsletters (and applying those strategies in an election with many mayoral candidates and 50 aldermanic races.) You’ll walk away with 10 best practices for talking with (and listening to) members of your audience about divisive topics in a level-headed way.
Come hungry, dinner is on us.
Schedule:
6:00 p.m.: Doors open
Grab some refreshments and meet new and old friends.
6:30-8:00 p.m.: Presentation
Hiring? We’ll open up the floor to anyone who wants to give a 30-second pitch about a role they’re hiring for.
About ONA Chicago:
ONA Chicago is a local meetup group made up of writers, editors, innovators, photographers, producers, academics, entrepreneurs and technologists who produce news for and support digital news delivery systems. We’re the Chicago outpost of the Online News Association, the world’s largest association of digital journalists. ONA’s mission is to inspire innovation and excellence among journalists to better serve the public. ONA Local programs are generously supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. For more information, check out http://journalists.org/ona-local