This year, KBIA will deepen its engagement with communities across mid-Missouri by partnering with other public radio stations across the country in an initiative called America Amplified Election 2024.
The initiative is hosted by WFYI in Indianapolis and is funded by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to support community engagement journalism in traditionally underserved areas.
America Amplified prioritizes meaningful, in-person and online engagement in order to build trust, expand audiences and deepen the impact of public media journalism. In 2023 and 2024, KBIA will use community engagement journalism practices to combat the spread of misinformation and distrust in media while also sharing audience-focused resources on voting information.
Through this initiative, we aim to put people, not preconceived ideas, at the center of our reporting process. The station has received training and coaching to map an effective strategy for serving this community, using the Hearken platform to discover what information ou communities need to confidently participate in the 2024 general election.
Specifically, we have ...
- developed a new America Amplified series page that provides insight into the election — from voter guides to stories about how other mid-Missourians are getting involved
- published an Election FAQ page that answers frequently asked questions about how to vote in Missouri
- launched a question portal on our home page (check it out!), where you can submit your questions about the election
- partnered with PROMO to host a listening session with LGBTQ+ folks and allies in mid-Missouri. We're taking the insights from that session to inform the way we approach our political coverage.
But, what have we missed? Use the Hearken embed on our homepage to reach out and let us know what information you need to vote with confidence during the primary election in August and the general election in November.
Editor’s note: In responding to questions from our audience and community generated by the Hearken platform, KBIA will be using an Election Information Portal, developed by America Amplified in partnership with a data and analytics company. This tool uses generative AI to gather verified information from state election offices to respond to questions posed by their audience and community. Responses will be drafted using, in part, the information gathered by the GAI tool. They will be edited, revised and verified by American Ampilfied and newsroom staff.
