LOCAL & STATE
The Oklahoma Eagle
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The Ecosystem Engagement Project, spearheaded by Oklahoma Media Center, aims to create a stronger, more productive relationship between media organizations and their readers, viewers and listeners. OMC, an umbrella organization representing more than two dozen media outlets across the state, launched the Ecosystem Engagement Project in April 2023 in support of its mission to support and strengthen Oklahoma’s local journalism ecosystem and spur innovation.
The project is funded by a $100,000 grant from the Inasmuch Foundation, an Oklahoma City-based philanthropic organization dedicated to improving journalism in Oklahoma and nationwide. The grant has been divided between twelve different news organizations across the state. All are participants in the project.
The project aims to create a stronger, more productive relationship between media organizations and their readers, viewers and listeners.
“This engagement project, which is based on polling and comprehensive research, will help local newsrooms listen and learn information needs of their communities with the ultimate goal of building trust,” said Rob Collins, executive director of the Oklahoma Media Center
The Eagle’s participation is focused on closely engaging readers and potential readers of both the print and digital versions of the newspaper. Ultimately, we’d like to determine how much confidence you – our readers – have in the news that the Eagle publishes. We want to know whether you read the paper at all and if so what you like and don’t like about what you read. Where there are gaps in your trust in our products, we plan to work to address them. It’s all about us delivering content that you feel is reliable and responds to your interests.
To participate in the program, The Eagle has received a grant for the Ecosystem Engagement Project, a portion of the funding provided by Inasmuch for the Ecosystem Engagement Project.
Oklahoma Eagle Managing Editor Gary Lee will direct the The Eagle’s News Ecosystem Endeavor. The initiative will begin in early December and continue until the end of March 2024.
The project has several components, initially establishing a core focus group to gain valued insight from community readers and sharing ongoing dialogue. The Eagle will engage, throughout the remaining months, in publishing a series of progressively informative narratives and soliciting reader feedback to best measure and improve key ‘trust’ metrics.
The Eagle also plans to regularly distribute complimentary copies of the newspaper at targeted locations across Tulsa throughout the period of the project. Similarly, we will enhance the circulation of the Eagle’s digital version.
In its effort to build trust with the public, we will solicit answers to some questions. Here’s a sample of the questions: what are your primary areas of interest regarding news? Does the Eagle respond to your news needs? Are there subjects that you think the Eagle should cover more or better? Are the areas of coverage in the paper that you believe should be decreased or eliminated? Do you trust what you read in the Eagle? If not, why not?
For The Eagle, success in this project would mean a readership that is happier with the news product and more engaged with those of us who work to deliver it. For us to reach that goal, you must engage with us. Readers who would like to participate in the project or know more about it should contact us at the following e-mail address: Trustingnews@theokeagle.com
The Eagle is one of twelve media organizations statewide to be included in the Oklahoma Media Center’s Media Engagement Project.
Here’s a list of the other news organizations:
The OU Daily
