Why the Project is Important

Engaged, thoughtful consumption of news and information is essential to both a thriving democracy and vibrant community life. Local communities that become more knowledgeable about what to believe in a digital age will be better equipped to engage in positive civil discourse with one another and address key challenges at the local level. This project is built on the idea that community engagement and a two-way dialog with diverse stakeholders are also essential to the future of quality journalism. These roundtables will provide the opportunity for news organizations to better understand their communities and to demystify how they do their work. Community residents, in turn, will have the opportunity to connect with their sources of information and have an impact on the way local issues are addressed. Working directly with the News Literacy Project, the roundtables will launch educational efforts in each of the participating communities spearheaded by local news literacy ambassadors who will be identified and supported in each local community.

For more information about hosting a roundtable, contact Project Director Clair Lorell at clorell@asne.org or 571-366-1152.