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Why We Exist
The Center for Innovation in Journalism @ American Public Media leads in forging genuine partnership between the media and the public to continually renew journalism.
The Center develops and applies techniques that American Public Media and its partners use to engage the public, tap its insight and produce breakthrough journalism.
By cultivating ongoing relationships with the widest possible source network, the Center connects journalists with stories and perspectives from every facet of experience.
The news media are in trouble. And while journalists point to outside reasons — the young aren't interested in news, the business model is disappearing, the Web is breeding new competition — those are symptoms of an inner reality.
Today's journalism is not as relevant to people's lives as it used to be. If it were relevant, if it were connected, the public would need it, want it, and support it.
Creating a New Journalism of Partnership with the Public
Making the news relevant requires a profound change. We live in an increasingly open source culture, where people expect to share their knowledge, opinions, photos and more in the same way they learn from what others share online. Journalists no longer have a privileged status when it comes to finding or speaking the truth. Yet most newsrooms still operate with a "we know best — and we'll tell you what you need to know" model. That world is vanishing and taking the audience with it.
The Center pioneers a new model that makes the public, its knowledge and its insight central to news coverage. The model embraces the wisdom that comes from the collective experience of many people.
We use technology to create ongoing source relationships with tens of thousands of people, so our newsroom can understand what matters to people and can "open source" stories from all the diverse communities we serve.
It’s a new model of news coverage. It assumes that journalists work best, when they understand and partner with the audience. We call it Public Insight Journalism.
Fear, Loathing and and the Promise of Public Insight Journalism by Michael Skoler (PDF)
Current.org: They Know More Than We Do by Michael Skoler
Youtube: Computation & Journalism Symposium interview with Michael Skoler
On the Media: Out Source (MP3)
What others say about our work
American Public Media Receives First Knight News Innovation EPpy Award
At this radio network, the audience is the star
On the Media: Out Source
Current.org: Newsrooms try public insight tool
Minnesota Public Radio Proves Open Innovation Journalism Works
PJnet: Will MPR's "Public Insight Journalism" Save News Integrity?
Public Insight Network Strives for Real People Journalism/
Poynter.org: Newsrooms Tapping Community Knowledge