For too long, most local media outlets have taken the same approach to covering violence in their communities: If it bleeds, it leads. But what about the context, the whole story, the deeper story? What about long-term trends in violence? How do you show that? With so many new digital tools, data journalism and citizen journalism, there are ways that journalists can tell a larger, more accurate story of violence in neighborhoods and action that citizens can take to make a difference.
We will be having an in-person discussion about violence in Chicago on Sept. 4 at the symposium, “Truth and Trust in the 21st Century: Journalism’s Role in the Telling the Story of Violence in Chicago.” (Please register here if you’d like to join us there.) But as a preview of that discussion, we will be having a Twitter chat at 2 pm Central Time / 3 pm Eastern Time at the #truthtrust hashtag, and will include some discussion about the events in Ferguson, Mo., as well.
The chat will be moderated by Mark Glaser, executive editor of PBS MediaShift, and will include special guests Kelly McBride of Poynter, Darryl Holliday of DNAInfo.com, Tracy Swartz of RedEye, Michael Lansu of Homicide Watch/Chicago Sun-Times and Kelsey Proud of St. Louis Public Radio.