Producing relevant content requires knowing your community

Jim Pumarlo

Mar 1, 2025

Editors are regularly challenged: What mix of stories and photos will collectively make this edition a “must see” for readers and advertisers? There is no universal formula.
Pumarlo

Editors are regularly challenged: What mix of stories and photos will collectively make this edition a “must see” for readers and advertisers? There is no universal formula.

The first step in any market, however, is to know your community. Fundamental to providing pertinent coverage is living in the neighborhoods where your readers work and play.

That’s common sense for newspapers to truly have a pulse of their markets. Yet, as simplistic as it sounds, it’s distressing to see newsrooms relying more and more on remote reporting, and to see staff living miles away from the communities they are charged with chronicling everyday happenings.

I was fortunate to guide a staff when community newspapers were flourishing. As a bonus, the hometown owners recognized the value of and dedicated extra resources to the news product. Admittedly, the landscape is far different today. Newspapers are no longer the primary avenue to deliver news and spread advertising messages.

Shortcuts in gathering news have become standard, almost essential. Reporters record meetings from online viewing, only occasionally attending in person. Press releases are accepted with minimal follow-up, often printed verbatim with PR language suited for internal newsletters.

I don’t minimize the challenges of the changing landscape. Maintaining community connections is hard work these days — especially with diminished resources, but building relationships still is critical to generating relevant content.

Making first impressions is important, especially if a newspaper changes ownership. Consider these messages:

  • A flagship newspaper that served a community for more than 150 years pulls up its roots — doesn’t even keep a storefront office — and moves its chain headquarters 25 miles away. A business out of sight is soon out of mind.
  • A new reporter writes an introductory column expressing her desire to learn about and become a part of the local community. In the same space, she tells readers she lives 40 miles away in the big city, where she has a part-time job and on weekends enjoys exploring the metropolitan area with family and friends.
  • An editor comes on board, writes that he looks forward to living in the community and meeting people. A year later, he has yet to introduce himself — in written communication or in person — to local governing bodies and likely to other key newsmakers.

Connecting with community is paramount to producing substantive stories. Even more important, everyday contact is at the core of building confidence with readers. The point is underscored by Trusting News, a research and training project that empowers journalists to demonstrate credibility and earn trust.

Trusting News offers a Trust Kit with a goal to help newspapers:

  • Ask for community input in productive ways.
  • Identify and refine knowledge around local community members’ perceptions of local news.
  • Communicate more regularly with people who have low trust in news and address their frustrations.
  • Act on feedback to improve your overall coverage.

The kit forwards several ideas for engaging with community and then acting on feedback. The common thread? It’s far easier, and more meaningful, to execute the strategies if you are a part of community.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed when launching a major initiative, so I advise taking baby steps. Here’s one suggestion from the Trust Kit: Have each journalist in your newsroom commit to interviewing one person a month who has low trust in news. One question to ask: What do journalists often get wrong about you or about things in your life?

In similar vein, map a plan for reporters to connect monthly with one person not in their regular network. Meet face to face. You’ll expand your knowledge of the community and gain one more source to forward story ideas to enrich your content while deepening community connections.

Jim Pumarlo is former editor of the Red Wing (Minnesota) Republican Eagle. He writes, speaks and provides training on community newsroom success strategies. He is author of “Journalism Primer: A Guide to Community News Coverage,” “Votes and Quotes: A Guide to Outstanding Election Coverage” and “Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in Small-Town Newspapers.” He can be reached at www.pumarlo.com and welcomes comments and questions at jim@pumarlo.com.