Book Review: Engaging Journalism: Connecting With Digitally Empowered News Audiences, by Jake Batsell

Abstract

Jake Batsell Engaging Journalism: Connecting With Digitally Empowered News Audiences. New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 2015. 195 pp.Jake Batsell's new journalism book Engaging Journalism: Connecting With Digitally Empowered News Audiences brings forth a transitional point of view of not only a shift and change in journalism, but in the way in which journalism professionals approach journalism in the field. Throughout the book, Batsell relays insights from leading news outlets from NPR to Washington Post to new emerging news outlets like GeekWire.Yet, Batsell's discussion in many cases on what newsrooms and journalism professionals need to do to engage their audiences almost sounds like traditional public relations strategies. There were points in reviewing this book I had to double check to make sure this was a journalism book I was reviewing rather than a public relations book. The themes of interacting with audiences, listening and engaging audiences as part of a conversation, and even setting up face-to-face meetings and events sound like the same strategies you would read in a public relations textbook. Even Batsell discusses how the book is about people and not necessarily the technology they use to communicate and interact with each other.Many of the principles, trends, and even industry changes noted in this book are also happening in other respective fields, not just journalism. It appears marketing and journalism professionals have been looking at media historically as being a tool, whereas media is about engaging dialogue between audiences, relationship management, and the hub for content creation and curation. Even though Batsell emphasizes these points in this book, it still feels as though the field of journalism is approaching media (and other new media platforms) as another channel of communication to reach audiences, rather than have a conversation with them. Promoting stories and getting the news out is one thing, but striking a meaningful conversation to build relationships for two-way dialogue is another point that needs to be considered.Batsell spent several years interviewing and observing newsroom in a truly transformational period where journalists and reporters not only integrated new media as part of their news reporting duties, but also embodied the overall essence of what makes new media social in the first place. These interviews were extensive, diverse, and a blend of historically established news platforms and ones that were started as startups.We see this throughout the book with examples of providing and creating experiences that provide value and meaning. Yet, the role of a journalist and reporter is to report the facts and information to their audiences, which is different from what Batsell is discussing in this book. Yet, this provides a window into the growing paradigm shift we are seeing in the journalism profession. Journalists are not only representing their own media outlet, but they are their own personal media outlets as well. Batsell also discusses this point when he focuses on the news not from just reporting updates and information, but as a way to start a conversation. What is interesting is to explore the various changes we are seeing not necessarily with the tools, but the behavior the reporters have to consider adding into their professional regime as they interact with, correspond, and respond to their various audiences. …