May 18–21, 2017 // How do we elevate engagement so that communities can thrive?
In the wake of the 2016 election, trust in journalism reached a crisis point, with increasing polarization and deteriorating civic discourse. In response, the Agora Journalism Center convened Elevate Engagement, a four-day gathering in Portland designed to explore how journalists, storytellers, and civic actors could rebuild trust and reimagine journalism’s role in public life.
Co-hosted with Journalism That Matters and supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Elevate Engagement brought together over 100 journalists, public servants, artists, funders, technologists, educators, and community organizers dedicated to civic communication that prioritizes listening, fosters connection, and builds trust.
Purpose
The gathering aimed to catalyze a community of practice and foster a shared sense of responsibility for journalism that deepens relationships and supports communities in navigating complexity, challenge, and change.
Key Questions Addressed
- How can engagement practices move beyond transactional interactions to foster mutual trust?
- Which practices enable communities to perceive journalism as a shared civic asset rather than merely a product?
- In what ways can storytellers contribute to repairing and strengthening the civic fabric?
Program Overview
- Day 1: Introduction and Context Setting
Lightning talks from leaders such as Ashley Alvarado (KPCC), Adriana Gallardo (ProPublica), Sarah Alvarez (Outlier Media), and Cameron Whitten (Know Your City) provided real-world examples of engaged journalism. - Day 2: Exploring Possibilities
Utilizing Open Space Technology, participants collaboratively developed sessions to explore emerging ideas, including strategies for rebuilding trust in divided communities and enhancing local civic storytelling models. - Day 3: Design and Implementation
Teams developed projects with practical potential, including prototypes, partnerships, and shared commitments focused on achieving long-term impact. - Day 4: Building a Community of Practice
The final day focused on future collaboration, addressing how participants could support one another beyond the gathering and identifying the infrastructure, shared platforms, and spaces necessary to sustain this work.
Evening Highlights
- “Truth to Empower” Panel
A multidisciplinary panel discussion, moderated by Regina Lawrence (Agora Journalism Center), featured insights from Meredith Clark, Lewis Friedland, Mónica Guzmán, and Eric Gordon on strategies for rebuilding trust across differences.
Key Themes Emerged
- Engagement should be understood as a transformational orientation rather than a mere tactic.
- Listening serves as the foundation for building trust.
- Storytelling should reflect and engage with shifting power dynamics, rather than solely reporting on them.
- Journalists are encouraged to partner with communities rather than solely cover them.
- Inclusive civic discourse requires equity across race, class, gender, generation, and geography.
Outcomes & Impact
Participants gained the following:
- Strengthened professional networks and a shared vocabulary for engagement work
- Practical tools applicable to newsrooms and civic spaces
- A deeper understanding of how engagement practices can serve as civic infrastructure
- A shared commitment to positioning journalism as integral to community thriving, rather than solely as a means of information dissemination