17 pages., As the United States grapples with increasingly partisan media and affective polarization, how do cultural and political fault lines filter into residents’ daily lives, and how are they navigated? This case study of a region within a red state uses a communication infrastructure theory framework to examine how this political context affects residents’ relationships with media and their larger community storytelling networks. Through a series of focus groups, story diaries, and interviews with residents and local journalists, it explores whether shared communication resources remain and the potential for creating spaces for dialogue across political and demographic divides. Findings illustrate how residents negotiate interpersonal relationships, community spaces, and local and national media in a polarized communication context. The study highlights the importance of recognizing place-based identities and media representations to facilitate trust in journalism and points to possible responses for local news and community engagement.
5 pages., Via online UI subscription., Report of sessions at a conference about the need and role of community newspapers in sustaining and revitalizing U.S. rural life. Conference organized by the Keene (New Hampshire) Sentinel newspaper and Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 143 Document Number: D11535
Notes:
4 pages., Online via Poynter Institute website., Featured a two-way educational program involving professional journalists at local rural newspapers and undergraduate students in the School of Journalism, University of Missouri. This article in the series involved a student working for one week with the editorial staff of the Bowling Green Times newspaper. Student learned about community journalism and shared information about use of social media platforms.
Garfrerick, Beth H. (author / University of North Alabama)
Format:
Monograph
Publication Date:
2018
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 199 Document Number: D10069
Notes:
112 pages., Manuscript from author involving dissertation research., This monograph addresses the history of the community weekly newspaper in the United States throughout the twentieth century.
Online U.S. edition of the Guardian newspaper. 4 pages., "Local journalism is doing great work across the country while fighting cutbacks and tight budgets. But we need people to stop expecting news to be free.
9 pages., Via online journal., Intergenerational environmental communication (IGEC) was examined using pre- and post-survey research after child participation in a groundwater environmental education (EE) program. The EE program increased child knowledge, but did not significantly increase parent knowledge. There was also a significant difference between perceived levels of environmental communication (EC) between child and parent, with parents indicating higher levels of EC than their children. Participants reporting low EC levels had significantly less interest in, concern for, or knowledge about environmental issues. Several key factors initiated IGEC between children and their parents, including saving household money by changing environmental behaviors, exposure to media sources that reported environmental news, and school activities such as homework related to environmental issues. Environmental educators should be cautious when implementing EE programs, as additional considerations are essential to determine what influence, if any, child participants have beyond the classroom. Continued research is needed to increase EC between children and their parents with the hope of improving intergenerational approaches to environmental issues.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 170 Document Number: D09010
Notes:
Online from the Food and Environment Reporting Network. 2 pages., Author describes an investigative reporting effort by Ted Genoway, a Nebraska-based writer. Provides link to the story, "Terror in the heartland."
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 30 Document Number: D10569
Notes:
3 pages., via website, Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism, Community banks are essential to the local economy and play a vital role in the nation’s financial health. They provide business journalists a plethora of stories. To jump-start your reporting, here are national and regional trends regarding local banks.
