Ten: A Shared Vocabulary

We need a shared vocabulary for library + news partnerships.

As evidenced by the varying terminology used throughout this report, it could be helpful to develop a shared vocabulary for how civic media organizations and libraries can talk about the intersections between their work.

• The journalists who make up the News Futures network are “community journalists” working in “civic media”—what do we call the librarians who want to partner with them?
• We may need a taxonomy that describes the types of partnerships that exist or have been tried, as well as those we can envision.
• “Civic engagement” is the buzzword of the day, but shifting our language to “civic participation” might help make clear that the goal isn’t helping the government run better, but ensuring people have the information, connections, and resources they need to meaningfully participate. (Terry Parris Jr.)
• One possible umbrella term for the big-picture shared project of journalists and librarians who increasingly see facilitating community conversation and connection as part of their work is “place-based civic renewal.” (Darryl Holliday)

“If I would have known the term ‘community journalism’ that would have gotten me way further when I was working in commercial media. It would have just been something to hold on to. So I think a lot of what the working groups do is they identify themes, questions, problems, solutions that people in the field who are practitioners might want to engage with.”

– Sierra Sangetti Daniels