Byline
by Cristi Hegranes, Seth Libby
Journalism is in crisis, but the solution is right in front of us.It's no secret that news outlets are struggling to maintain their audience, and journalism jobs are being cut to accommodate tighter and tighter budgets—all while the public regularly falls prey to "fake news." Today, news consumers have lost trust in journalism. They sense, rightly, they aren't getting the whole story.By reimagining a model for international journalism, Cristi Hegranes has proven we can reverse this trend—by changing who tells our stories. Local reporters with proximity to events and access to diverse sources tell fuller, more accurate stories—the sort of news consumers have been demanding for years.Featuring original interviews with some of the biggest names in journalism, including Nicholas Kristof, Carroll Bogert, Bobby Ghosh, Lauren Williams and Global Press reporters across the planet, Byline makes a bold case that international coverage led by local journalists can restore trust in the entire industry.To enact this solution, the industry will have to let go of many outdated assumptions about what news people want, who has a right to tell their story, and just what security means in the new era of journalism.
Hardcover
Brand New
Author Biography
CRISTI HEGRANES (HEG-RUH-NESS) is the founder and CEO of Global Press, a nonprofit news organization that trains and employs local women journalists in some of the world's least-covered places. Cristi is the architect of the industry's leading Duty of Care program for local women journalists, which was named one of Fast Company's World Changing Ideas of 2022 and received the Human Rights Prize from the American Psychiatric Association in 2020. She is also the lead author of the Global Press Style Guide, which elevates standards for dignified and precise language in international journalism. Cristi has taught journalism and social entrepreneurship courses at Stanford and Georgetown universities. Originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico, Cristi now lives outside Washington DC with her toddler son, Henry.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
IntroductionSystemic Failure
A Broken System Delivering Bad News
Sensationalism over Accuracy
Too Much Risk, Not Enough Care
Listen to the AudienceA New Vision of International Journalism
Let Local Reporters Report
A Better Class of Reporting
Check Your Ethics
Building Representative Newsrooms
Security for the Whole Journalist
Doing It DifferentlyConclusion
Appendix
Review
Byline is an essential book for anyone who cares about international journalism. Drawing on 17 years' experience building and running one of the most transformative models for journalism to be found anywhere in the world, Hegranes is uniquely positioned to explain what's wrong with the current system and, most importantly, how it can genuinely be improved.David Bornstein, Co-founder, Solutions Journalism Network
Byline is many things, prescient, erudite, and timely but it is especially an affirmation of the value of journalism when it is done well.Khadija Patel, Journalist in residence, International Fund for Public Interest Media
Cristi Hegranes's Byline upends the idea of foreign reporting as historically practiced, and thoughtfully offers better, accurate ways forward. Her oft-amusing examples of "parachute journalism" are eye-opening, expose dangers and limitations of mainstream media, and inspire all of us to do better. Where this book most shines is in proffering solutions, such as how communities can tell their own stories or how audience feedback can be revolutionary. There's nothing parochial about Hegranes's vision for local news; indeed, it's an essential guide to committing and consuming journalism in the new world order.S. Mitra Kalita, CEO, URL Media
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