Covering Communities

Questions to Ask Yourself

Your Aspirations

Why did you become a journalist?
What are the most important values you hold as a journalist?
What do you hope to accomplish with your journalism?
How does your knowledge about the community shape your aspirations?

Daily Goals

What do you need to do on a day-to-day basis to fulfill your aspirations?
How do you know when you are making progress toward your aspirations?

What’s Next

After thinking about your aspirations and goals, what possibilities can you imagine for your journalism?
What might you do more, better or differently?

Use it Now

What is your relationship with the community?
We all have perceptions and attitudes about communities we cover. And people have perceptions and attitudes about you as a journalist. How do these affect your coverage?

Home > Key Insights > Name Your Aspirations

Name Your Aspirations

What do you aspire to do as a journalist?

You can produce coverage that has the greatest impact when you find the intersection between your own journalistic aspirations and goals, and your knowledge of the community.

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If you focus exclusively on your own aspirations and goals (in an attempt to win awards, perhaps), you run the risk of producing coverage that holds little meaning for the community.

If you ignore your own aspirations and goals, you may find it difficult to muster the passion required to generate vibrant and engaging journalism that serves the community.

Your work may require you to venture outside the “sweet spot” but it's wise to be clear about your aspirations and goals before venturing out to cover communities.