Methodology: Sampling and Articles
Determining where and how the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service does most of its reporting required reviewing the articles and multimedia reports published on its website. These stories suggest 1) how NNS imagines its work, 2) how others have discussed and or endorsed the new service and 3) what those who have created content for it have learned about journalism and community. I also collected and interpreted other sources of information ranging from written and audio reports to grant proposals and consultant reports to petitions aimed at persuading funders and institutions that it was worthwhile and viable. Key staff also agreed to share their experiences with me.
Consequently, this study seeks to remain true to the principles of purposive sampling, informant interviews and textual analysis as prescribed by Given (2008), Lindlof and Taylor (2011) and Maykut and Morehouse (2001), respectively. My sample involves an analysis of 229 stories – or just under one third of the 757 NNS published between March 20, 2011, and March 7, 2014. The study focuses primarily on the news service’s work in 2013 because by then it had developed a normal course of operation and one could glimpse the spectrum of work created; specifically, the sample of 229 reports included 195 of NNS’ 260 produced in 2013, with my examples drawn from updates emailed to subscribers each weekday between April and December 2013.
Certain categories of NNS reports overlapped for the purposes of this study (Appendix B identifies the 229 articles analyzed by type). Among the work analyzed, for example, are a total of 70 reports, published before and during 2013, written by three NNS reporters interviewed for this study; so, too, are 20 postings (including one from 2014) that the news service counts as its most popular work based on total page views. Some of those articles are also among the 27 items marked as “special reports” – thus indicating what NNS considered its best work and most deserving of public attention. The same applies to NNS items that a local radio station (11) and the state’s largest media operation (38) deemed worthy of broad community interest and so either created related broadcast segments or republished the articles on its website; articles NNS submitted to award contests (19); information shared with the NNS advisory board, and evidence that other media, significant organizations and individuals had taken stock of its work (news releases, website notices, articles, commentaries, blog posts, reports by consultants, etc.). Additionally, the 18 students in my Digital Journalism III (JOUR 2100) class created nine of the 2013 reports; it is a sample of work my classes have created for NNS as part of a collaboration spearheaded by its editor-in-chief and myself during four semesters.
These stories have been interpreted to determine whether NNS has achieved its mission – providing objective and professional reporting about 17 low-income communities in Milwaukee – and to understand the social, economic and professional complexities resulting from that work. Particular attention will be paid to topics covered, patterns developed, story treatment and sources, and to what all of the work says about the relationship between NNS’ approach to journalism and the communities it covers.
Consequently, this study seeks to remain true to the principles of purposive sampling, informant interviews and textual analysis as prescribed by Given (2008), Lindlof and Taylor (2011) and Maykut and Morehouse (2001), respectively. My sample involves an analysis of 229 stories – or just under one third of the 757 NNS published between March 20, 2011, and March 7, 2014. The study focuses primarily on the news service’s work in 2013 because by then it had developed a normal course of operation and one could glimpse the spectrum of work created; specifically, the sample of 229 reports included 195 of NNS’ 260 produced in 2013, with my examples drawn from updates emailed to subscribers each weekday between April and December 2013.
Certain categories of NNS reports overlapped for the purposes of this study (Appendix B identifies the 229 articles analyzed by type). Among the work analyzed, for example, are a total of 70 reports, published before and during 2013, written by three NNS reporters interviewed for this study; so, too, are 20 postings (including one from 2014) that the news service counts as its most popular work based on total page views. Some of those articles are also among the 27 items marked as “special reports” – thus indicating what NNS considered its best work and most deserving of public attention. The same applies to NNS items that a local radio station (11) and the state’s largest media operation (38) deemed worthy of broad community interest and so either created related broadcast segments or republished the articles on its website; articles NNS submitted to award contests (19); information shared with the NNS advisory board, and evidence that other media, significant organizations and individuals had taken stock of its work (news releases, website notices, articles, commentaries, blog posts, reports by consultants, etc.). Additionally, the 18 students in my Digital Journalism III (JOUR 2100) class created nine of the 2013 reports; it is a sample of work my classes have created for NNS as part of a collaboration spearheaded by its editor-in-chief and myself during four semesters.
These stories have been interpreted to determine whether NNS has achieved its mission – providing objective and professional reporting about 17 low-income communities in Milwaukee – and to understand the social, economic and professional complexities resulting from that work. Particular attention will be paid to topics covered, patterns developed, story treatment and sources, and to what all of the work says about the relationship between NNS’ approach to journalism and the communities it covers.
