Earning Trust with Communities of Color: Apply for Trust 101

▪︎ APPLICATION DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 7, 2021 ▪︎

The Trusting News team is offering a version of the Trust 101 class with a new focus. A free, four-week class will look at concrete steps newsrooms can take to build trust with communities of color.

This cohort will drill down on earning trust where it is so often lacking. BIPOC communities often feel that their lives, values and priorities are not reflected in the news, and they often have historic and ongoing grievances that back up those views. In addition, most newsroom staffs do not reflect the diversity of their communities and aren’t making fast enough progress on that front.

This class will: identify past and present barriers to trust with communities of color; work through coverage areas that are often especially problematic; equip participants with strategies for effective outreach; talk about how to measure improvement; and coach participants individually as they outline specific problem areas, coverage ideas and next steps for their own newsrooms.

Details:
–This class will run Oct. 25-Nov. 19, 2021. Participants should be prepared to spend 3–4 hours per week, including attendance at four live class sessions on Fridays from 1 1 a.m. to 12 p.m. MT.
–It is open to local journalists in U.S. newsrooms who are willing to make a commitment to better relationships with and service to communities of color.
–This class is 100% remote and is facilitated through live Zoom classes, video recordings, a Slack workspace and assignments.
–It is offered free to journalists.
–The course requires two participants from each newsroom to apply together. This structure will enable the partners to support each other’s plans and ability to follow through on them. Trusting News strongly recommends the team include someone in a leadership position (someone with decision-making authority — over the newsroom overall, or over sections or teams), though that is not required.
–Trusting News plans to accept up to 15 newsrooms. As they evaluate applications, they’re looking for journalists who have thoughtful observations and seem ready to invest in making changes.

Since the first offering in 2019, the Trust 101 class has helped journalists and educators understand perceptions of journalism and has empowered them to demonstrate credibility and actively earn trust. The course brings research and real world examples and connects journalists to others with similar goals. It walks participants through creating a plan for their own work, built on transparency and engagement.