Why would anyone want to take on an additional role of being a community journalism lab representative outside their day job? I spoke with one of our newer reps on why he decided to join and why the work our journalism lab does is important to our reporting efforts.
“As a visionary creative I aim to elevate the stories in our communities that go unheard. Being part of the Community Journalism Lab will allow me to be a link between the communities I serve and The Beacon. I look forward to engaging in the community and shining a light on the diverse narrative that exists in Kansas City.” – Ivan Ramirez
Needless to say, information behind our stories that our readers read wouldn’t be available if it wasn’t for the work that our reporters put in to make those stories known. I spoke with our reporter Josh, about how the community work gets implemented into stories or influences the ideas behind the stories.
Here’s what they said, “Community journalism means that we, as reporters, are accountable to the communities we serve. The Beacon’s Community Journalism Lab challenges me to break away from my echo chamber. It takes longer, but it makes my journalism stronger when I can meet community members where they are and make sure my work is actually answering the questions that they need answered.” -Josh Merchant
