Building a new media platform for local storytelling and civic engagement in ethnically diverse neighborhoods

Abstract

This article describes a research-driven initiative to develop a hyper-local news website to promote civic engagement in an ethnically diverse neighborhood in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Utilizing Communication Infrastructure Theory’s elucidation of the contribution of an integrated local storytelling network to civic engagement, multi-method research was conducted to identify gaps and opportunities in the extant storytelling network – comprising residents, local media and community organizations – that shape the study area’s current engagement patterns. Empirical findings point to a web-based local storytelling platform as a promising mechanism for facilitating engagement and inter-group interaction. The implications of these findings for developing research-driven communication interventions to enhance civic engagement in other diverse neighborhoods are discussed.