Thread by @jonathanstray

Ok, a THREAD about doing journalism for a polarized, suspicious public.

Suppose you want to be read and trusted across the political spectrum. What does that mean and how to do it?

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This is the background context:

Media trust has been falling for decades
knightfoundation.org/reports/indica…

Polarization has been increasing for decades
people-press.org/2014/06/12/pol…

(I'm going to focus on the US today but there are similar trends internationally)

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So say you are doing reporting that you would like to be read and believed widely, and also across the political spectrum. There are ways to present the *same facts* in ways that are more or less acceptable to different people.

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First of all, don't accept or publish shallow explanations! Nuance defuses conflict. @amandaripley's "Complicating the narrative" remains the best thing I've ever read on doing journalism for a polarized audience.
thewholestory.solutionsjournalism.org/complicating-t…

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@amandaripley Second, realize that you can no longer assume you reader's trust.

Readers are suspicious of your work.

Further, readers are suspicious that you are not *on their team.*

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@amandaripley Think: when you read something from an unknown source, how fast can you tell if the author is, you know, from your tribe? What signals do you pick up? What language annoys you, makes you stop reading?

And what would make someone from the "other " tribe stop reading?

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@amandaripley The thing is, invoking the broader political conflict -- left vs. right, the culture war, whatever you want to call it -- is often unnecessary.

Small signals trigger tribal reflexes, and change readers' interpretations of your work.
niemanlab.org/2012/06/how-do…

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@amandaripley Conversely, little nods to dissenting opinions can make people feel represented and comfortable.

Now, I'm not arguing for unwarranted both-sides-ism. That can be its own problem. I'm saying, if you want both tribes to feel welcome, make them welcome.

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@amandaripley Making folks feel welcome and avoiding triggers takes continual immersion in diverse communities. It means tracking the discourse on all sides of the culture war.

Regardless of where you stand personally, it's your job to understand how tribal identity works.

Thanks.

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