Distribution and Feedback
When it came to the distribution phase of the story cycle, Curious City generally adhered to more traditional norms of how journalistic stories were shared. That is, they were broadcast on the radio, on the station’s website, and via podcast, and then were shared via various social media. According to the editor, Curious City programs had a wide reach compared with other WBEZ content. They were broadcast in multiple times slots, and tended to garner more clicks and shares than other WBEZ stories on average.
But while Curious City’s distribution of stories was successful, it was also relatively conventional in engagement terms. The program occasionally did public events—such as live tapings in front of an audience combined with puppet cinema. It also occasionally followed a story with a live Twitter chat to discuss issues raised with listeners and stakeholders. However, while these mechanisms were effective in connecting to listeners in WBEZ’s core audience, they had little chance of reaching beyond this. The outreach project did not attempt to do a marketing campaign alongside the effort to seek out questions—due to budgetary restrictions. So while residents were told about Curious City, and many shared questions for the initiative, they were not given any information about how they could listen to the program or participate more in the future. Curious City staff noted that several people they met requested something to take away with more information. They suggested that in the future it might be useful to have bookmarks, flyers, or other materials on hand. Similarly, live events and Twitter chats were not marketed in target outreach communities aside from online and on-air announcements for WBEZ listeners.
The engagement gap at this point in the storytelling cycle meant that even if a story covered areas targeted in outreach, discussion or feedback was likely to come from listeners who were generally not from these communities. In the case of many South and West Side communities, this often (but not always) meant white reporters covering communities of color for a majority-white audience. While the issues and perspectives of question-askers from those communities were represented and shared with WBEZ’s audience, there were few opportunities for residents of those communities to participate in dialogues about issues raised, unless question-askers did their own personal outreach (e.g., notifying their own Twitter followers, etc.).
Of course question-askers and audience members did play an active role in circulating and sharing feedback on stories via social media. And some question-askers took additional initiative to do their own outreach independently. One suburban resident and question-asker shared how she had posted her story in a working mom’s group she belonged to. She said it “spurred a crazy discussion and debate. Lots of people saying, ‘This is amazing. I’ve had this question, too.’” She suggested WBEZ would do well to seek more engagement post-broadcast: “There’s a responsibility to not just sort of publish it, and push it, and forget the story, but to engage people more in debate, in conversation,” she said.26 She suggested this engagement could be online, but also face-to-face in things like discussions or roundtables.
Several reporters and producers also suggested they would like to do more regarding outreach and marketing, from more opportunities for public listening sessions to provide feedback, to using WBEZ spaces such as its neighborhood bureaus as engagement hubs. However, most acknowledged that such efforts were currently limited by available resources.
This energy suggests there may be untapped potential to explore by enlisting residents in a more active role at the distribution, discussion, and feedback-end of the story cycle. WBEZ, like many media outlets, stopped allowing listener comments on its website. While some use social media platforms to discuss programs, those who do not partake in social media now have fewer ways to engage in dialogue about programming that has been broadcast. Exploring opportunities at this point in the process could deepen the cycle of engagement overall.