Suggested Speakers
- TBD TBD
Design Thinking presents a new approach to innovation that focuses on people and possibilities. It's one that journalists can benefit from.
Session Description
Community engagement from journalists involves face-to-face conversations, speaking to people of diverse backgrounds, relationship building and listening.
When I think about these characteristics, I am reminded of the Design Thinking process — it’s a process that presents a new approach to innovation that focuses on people and possibilities, and one that journalists could benefit from.
In this session, I would walk participants through this topic, allowing time to brainstorm and create between steps. I\’d let participants pair up, present them with a newsroom problem, and lead them through the 5 stages of the Design Thinking Process.
My CUNY J class presented a Design Thinking workshop at the CMA Conference in New York earlier this year, so I do have experience presenting on this topic.
As a journalist and educator, I am prepared to teach this and willing to partner up with others as you see fit.
Here is a Medium Post I wrote on my experience leading a Design Thinking workshop: https://medium.com/@melissadipento/why-design-thinking-is-critical-to-community-engagement-2092098c57b1
How does your submission contribute to the diversity of the conference?
The Design Thinking process presents a new way of thinking. In newsrooms, this process could be applied to a newsroom problem, or even a way to report or tell a story about a vulnerable community. By slowing down and listening for different ideas and ways to solve a problem, journalists who use this process open themselves up to more diverse ideas. And because the process requires constant iteration and feedback, journalists who use this can better establish a relationship with the communities they hope to serve. Using this process, they no longer drop in to report on a story and gather quotes. Equipped with these tools, journalists are now repeatedly going back to the community they are reporting on and asking for feedback. This will positively guide the journalism he or she creates.