Topics covered
Why it matters
Examples from our partners
Visualizing the Hearken process
Why it matters
The language you use to introduce your Hearken project is your chance to announce to the world, “Hey, we’re listening to you!” It’s also your chance to clearly explain how your audience can participate and why you value their participation. This introductory language is a crucial component of your Hearken landing page. You can also tweak and reuse this language in newsletters, radio promos or wherever you promote your Hearken project.
Your introduction should explain each step of the Hearken process so your audience members know how their engagement will lead to stories.
This introduction also serves as supplemental context for your prompt. You might want to write more background information about the prompt’s subject. Or you might provide more instructions so that your audience knows what kinds of questions to submit. You can even provide example questions for inspiration.
Examples from our partners
Australian Broadcasting Corporation:
Curious Canberra is a project from ABC Canberra that invites you to have a say in the stories we cover. Submit a question below about the city, its people and the region. We'll answer one question each week and curate your questions into regular voting rounds so that you can vote on each other's ideas.
The Day:
At The Day, we strive to cover stories our readers care about. Now, through our new project Curious CT, we're making it easier for you to tell us what you want to know about people, places and issues in southeastern Connecticut. After each submission period, we'll select a few questions and kick it back to you, the readers, to vote on your favorite. Once a winner is selected by reader votes, we'll contact the person who submitted the winning question to be part of the reporting process, if they so desire. Then we'll report back what we learn.
KCPT:
What about ____? Could you investigate ____? What’s up with____? Got a question about Kansas City, the region or the people who live here? Anything you’ve always wondered about, found peculiar or downright confusing? Share your questions with curiousKC, and let your curiosity fuel our reporting at Flatland and Kansas City PBS.
Visualizing the Hearken process
Some newsrooms opt to make a process graphic explaining how their public-powered series works. This can also be used for promotion on your social media platforms and newsletters.
Louisville Public Media
Ensia
The Texas Tribune
