1/ Last summer, we launched an initiative with @BKLYNlibrary called The Open Newsroom. The idea was to make local news collaborative, to make relevant information more accessible and to connect our newsroom with New Yorkers.
Our 18th meeting is today.
Our 18th meeting is today.
2/ We’re doing something a little different this time around. We’re holding three meetings focused on rent, jobs and food access during COVID.
At each meeting, we’re bringing in folks who are knowledgeable about each of these topics to listen to experiences and answer questions.
At each meeting, we’re bringing in folks who are knowledgeable about each of these topics to listen to experiences and answer questions.
3/ Here are some of the organizations joining us: @tenantneighbor, @LSNYCnews, @CHTenantUnion, @CUFFH, @MFJLegal.
You can sign up here: https://buff.ly/2XsjB0b
You can sign up here: https://buff.ly/2XsjB0b
4/ How did we land on rent, jobs and food? Those who attended previous Open Newsrooms helped us determine what issues to discuss.
And we drilled into those issues by playing a word association game.
Here’s what we did:
And we drilled into those issues by playing a word association game.
Here’s what we did:
5/ To help us see what questions folks had or what they were concerned about, we asked participants to tell us five words that come to mind when they hear “rent,” “jobs” or “food.”
6/ Then we asked attendees to associate a feeling with each of those five words — like “anxious,” “confused” and “hopeful.”
These activities spurred deep conversations about what it means to live in New York amid the pandemic.
These activities spurred deep conversations about what it means to live in New York amid the pandemic.
7/ At The Open Newsroom, we log and analyze everything to help us build the agenda for the next meeting. This time we “mapped” the words. Take a look.
Here’s all three: rent, jobs and food.
Here’s all three: rent, jobs and food.
8/ You’ll see at the center of each map is the topic of the conversation. Common keywords surround the center. And attached to those words are what folks felt about those experiences.
9/ You can get a real sense of the conversations and what folks — as a group — are thinking and feeling. For example: In the rent conversation, money was mentioned frequently and folks said they were anxious, or confused by their recent experiences paying or negotiating rent.
10/ Want to hear some of the conversation? We teamed up with @localvoicesnet, a nonprofit whose mission is to foster conversation in communities and in the media, to record the conversations.
Here’s a few snippets of what we heard:
Here’s a few snippets of what we heard:
11/ ...about a job search:
12/ ...and issues accessing food:
13/ If you want to listen to more conversations about rent, jobs and food, you can hear them on the @localvoicesnet site http://lvn.org/THECITY
14/ So starting today, Wednesday, Aug. 5, at 6pm ET, we’re talking about rent and other tenant issues with @tenantneighbor, @LSNYCnews, @CHTenantUnion, @CUFFH, @MFJLegal
Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-virtual-open-newsroom-lets-talk-about-housing-tickets-115253817270
Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-virtual-open-newsroom-lets-talk-about-housing-tickets-115253817270
15/ Next week, on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 6 pm ET, we’re discussing working, finding work and navigating unemployment.
Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-virtual-open-newsroom-lets-talk-about-working-and-jobs-tickets-115256503304?aff=erelexpmlt
Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-virtual-open-newsroom-lets-talk-about-working-and-jobs-tickets-115256503304?aff=erelexpmlt
16/ And on Thursday, Aug. 13, at 6 pm ET, we’re coming together to answer questions and hear concerns about food access and insecurity.
Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-virtual-open-newsroom-lets-talk-about-food-access-tickets-115258298674
Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-virtual-open-newsroom-lets-talk-about-food-access-tickets-115258298674
17/ If you have any questions you’d like to ask us ahead of time about rent, jobs or food access during the time of COVID, tell us here. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSct3ZR94TYeJTgfkn23otQf0gIzjgrvXWiQKW7_KkOYHiiZ4g/viewform
18/ And if you know of someone we should talk to who could help answer questions or provide resources for The Open Newsroom attendees about rent, jobs or food access, let us know here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeWYUYVI4k6nGy9si3_Odx9321g58I0hEDXyuBDOOqSD-R6JQ/viewform
19/ If you’ve missed any past meetings or have never visited The Open Newsroom, that’s not a problem. We design our meetings so that you don’t have to attend every one to know what’s going on.
20/ Hope to see you there — and feel free to send this link to a friend.
If you have any questions, you can email us at opennewsroom@thecity.nyc.
If you have any questions, you can email us at opennewsroom@thecity.nyc.