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I was once asked at a BBC event on so-called ‘news avoidance’: “how do we understand what these people want from news?”

The ‘people’ in that question, of course, refers to individuals and communities that have become marginalised by the news, distrusting of its processes and even see it as oppressive.

I think there’s an easy answer and a more interesting one. The obvious solution is, of course, “Ask them!”. The lack of interest in genuinely engaging with citizens is one of the underlying causes of the polycrisis the journalism industry finds itself in.

Where it gets interesting is in the who you ask, what you ask, and how you ask it.

That’s what we tried to explore with our Media Cymru News for All project. Working deeply with some of Wales’s most marginalised people and communities, across more than six months of participatory research, the ‘News for All’ project put community at the centre of the process to understand exactly what our citizens want and need from journalism.

Crucially, the sessions were designed and led by community facilitators, drawing on theatre and art techniques and this radical approach delivered new and exciting insights. Key insights from the research include:

• Participants are very news literate – this informs their decision not to engage with journalism
  The need for new innovation approaches that focus on the input side of journalism, rather than new formats or outputs
• Our group were clear that AI is not the answer to the fundamental challenges of journalism, which centre around human connection and accountability
• Innovative approaches to community engagement can inspire wider civic and democratic participation

The work demonstrated that, all at once, we could:

• Help news organisations better understand the needs of our most marginalised communities
• Rebuild relationships between newsrooms and those people and communities who trust journalism the least
• And inspire the greater civic and democratic engagement, necessary for healthy societies

The solutions already exist. By centring the expertise and creativity of our community, we were able to harness their knowledge and problem-solving ability.

They already have the answers, we just need to listen.

By Shirish Kulkarni
News Innovation and Research Fellow, Media Cymru

Read Media Cymru’s full News For All Report here! 

About Shirish

Shirish is a journalist, researcher and community organiser who’s worked in every major UK broadcast newsroom, as well as The Bureau of Investigative Journalism across a 30 year career in media. He’s currently News Innovation Research Fellow of Media Cymru and the Cardiff University School of Journalism, focusing on more effective, inclusive and equitable storytelling. He served on the Welsh Government’s Expert Panel on a Shadow Broadcasting and Communications Authority for Wales, and is a member of its working group on public interest journalism. He is also the founder of Inclusive Journalism Cymru, a network to connect, support and campaign for journalists marginalised or excluded by the industry in Wales.

About Impress 

Impress is a champion for news that can be trusted. We are here to make sure news providers can publish with integrity; and the public can engage in an ever-changing media landscape with confidence. We set the highest regulatory standards for news, offer education to help people make informed choices and provide resolution when disputes arise. 

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