Community-Centered Journalism is not a panacea for these issues, but it can be part of the solution, particularly at a local level. It proposes taking a different approach to journalistic practice, rooting it in demonstrable community needs and delivering news and information in formats that prioritize impact for communities over more conventional newsroom practices, metrics and routines.

Community-Centered Journalism thus takes a bottom-up approach, with beats, stories and products ascertained as a result of deep listening and engagement. This work is often done with communities that don’t consume your product and who may have been overlooked, stereotyped or underserved by the mainstream media. It’s time to address these historic imbalances.