Hi Roosevelt Islanders, my name is Jacob Martin. I’m an audience engagement journalist and graduate student at CUNY’s Newmark Graduate School of Journalism working with Roosevelt Islander Online this summer. I previously worked as a reporter for an NPR affiliate based in southern Kentucky, where I gained a ton of experience meeting and connecting with residents and community members where they are.
As an audience engagement journalist my job is to help newsrooms better understand and identify what their audiences care about. The goal of my work is to surface what community members say are the most important issues in their community and bring those needs to the attention of newsrooms so they can ultimately be addressed. My goal is to serve the community’s needs.
But to do this my first priority is to listen to community members. Which is why you’re – hopefully – still reading this.
I’m working with Roosevelt Islander Online to conduct an information news assessment. This project will help the Roosevelt Islander Online to better understand not just what information residents want, but how they find it, who they trust, and where gaps exist in the local information ecosystem.
I’m fortunate to be working with the Listening Post Collective, a nonprofit organization that helps local newsrooms across the country conduct community information needs assessments. The foundation of their work centers on the idea that the best journalism starts by listening. I’m adopting the same framework they’ve shared with newsrooms across the U.S. to Roosevelt Island to better understand what residents need from their local news.
This summer I am conducting community surveys, interviews, and community mapping – if you see me at the farmers market, Cafe Aviva or just out and about please don’t be shy, I’d love to meet and chat with you.
These conversations and data will help inform editorial priorities, improve how the Islander distributes its stories, and strengthen the newsroom’s relationship with our audience. For residents, the assessment creates an opportunity to directly shape the future of your local news source by sharing the issues you care about most and the ways you prefer to stay informed.
Ultimately, this work helps ensure the Roosevelt Islander can make more informed, audience-centered decisions that lead to more relevant, accessible, and impactful journalism for the entire Roosevelt Island community.
Since I’ve started this project one theme has continued to surface through the dozens of residents spoken to, survey results and interviews – you value the Roosevelt Islander. Many of you have told me there is a real, tangible need for a news outlet that directly serves the residents on Roosevelt Island.
That support is something every local newsroom hopes for, but it also comes with a responsibility to keep listening, evolving, and earning your trust.
That’s why this project matters. I firmly believe journalism is always strongest when it’s shaped by the people it serves. So if you’ve taken the survey, stopped to chat with me at the Farmers Market, or simply shared your thoughts in passing, you’ve already helped make this newsroom stronger. And if you haven’t had a chance to participate, I encourage you to take a few minutes to complete the survey or reach out with your thoughts.
Thank you for welcoming me into your community this summer. I look forward to continuing to listen, learn, and help ensure the Roosevelt Islander remains a trusted source of local news for years to come.
Please click here to take the Roosevelt Island Community Listening Project Survey.