WHYY News and Bridging Blocks host their second civic news conference to explore best practices for newsrooms to engage their communities in the practice of civic journalism. Prioritizing IRL initiatives that build connections for local communities has emerged as an audience strategy for WHYY and other local newsrooms. Learn about the impact of Bridging Blocks, a civic dialogue program made possible by the Sutherland Family and in partnership with the Free Library of Philadelphia. WHYY News staff will demonstrate civic debate and discuss how centering community members help fill news and information gaps. Panel discussions will feature journalists who practice civic news and provide insights into better practices.
Bridging Blocks is a civic engagement initiative between WHYY and The Free Library of Philadelphia that aims to bring together culturally and politically diverse households for conversation and understanding. Bridging Blocks is made possible by a generous grant from Fred and Barbara Sutherland.
Featured panelists:
Cherri Gregg is co-host of WHYY FM’s flagship daily news show, Studio 2. She is also creator and executive producer of The Good Souls Project, WHYY’s effort to highlight local individuals serving as role models for compassion, generosity and service. Prior to her current position, Cherri covered civil rights, social justice, race and public affairs issues impacting marginalized communities, spending nearly a decade as the Community Affairs reporter for KYW Newsradio, also reporting for CBS3 Eyewitness News. Cherri, who is also a licensed attorney, is a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Law & Justice Journalism Project.
Jim Friedlich is CEO of The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. He served previously as a senior executive at The Wall Street Journal. His wife Melissa Stern is an artist and art journalist, and his son, Max Wolf Friedlich, a Broadway playwright. His passions are journalism in America, his family in New York, his vegetable garden in the Catskills, and the thriving Philadelphia news ecosystem.
To view the entire Whyy News Civic News Summit agenda, visit here. Remember to register for Frday, April 4 and Saturday, April 5 individually on each registration page.
