Clockwise from upper left, Joy Mayer of Trusting News talks to Danny McArthur of Gulf States Newsroom, Sarah Nagem of the Border Belt Independent and Hadley Hitson of The Montgomery Advertiser during the April 2023 panel discussion on building trust with rural communities.

Better News: Building trust with rural communities

The American Press Institute recently hosted a panel discussion with alumni from the Tables Stakes Local News Transformation Program about how journalists can build trust with rural communities. 

Joy Mayer of Trusting News moderated the panel, which included Sarah Nagem of the Border Belt Independent, Hadley Hitson of the Montgomery Advertiser, and Danny McArthur of Gulf States Newsroom. Find the takeaways from the panel here.

This episode of the Better News podcast features audio from the panel, in which Joy and her guests discuss strategies they’ve used to foster trust with their rural audiences. 

The Better News podcast is a partnership between It’s All Journalism and the American Press Institute to a) showcase innovative/experimental ideas that emerge from the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and b) share replicable strategies and tactics that benefit the news industry as a whole. Sign up for the Better News newsletter to receive news about the latest resources, case studies, and insights. For more news about the It’s All Journalism podcast and future episodes of Better News, sign up for the weekly IAJ newsletter.

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