Civic duties: Newspaper journalists' views on public journalism

In a national survey of 1,037 newspaper journalists, this study found strong support for four practices associated with civic journalism. In order to minimize respondents' preconceptions, thr terms "civic journalism" or "public journalism" did not appear in the survey instrument. The study also found that journalists at smaller-sized papers, who accord importance to neighborhood news, who approve of top editors' and staff members' joining community organizations, and who feel their own paper is improving, are more likely to approve of civic journalism practices. The Study seems to cconfirm preliminary findings from earlier research that a new conception of journalism's role in society may be emerging.