In response to increasingly negative attitudes toward journalism, many newspapers and television stations across the United States have experimented with novel approaches to reporting that closely link the news media to the genuine information needs of the public. Known as "civic" or "public" journalism, this new movement contradicts some principles of traditional reporting and, as a result, has spurred great controversy among journalists. Assessing Public Journalism is the first book to evaluate the movement.In an effort to consider the ideas of citizens, stimulate public understanding of the issues, and advance possible solutions to public problems, public journalism uses innovative methods to achieve its goals. Many of the methods, including media-organized focus groups, public forums, and opinion polls, intentionally increase media participation in community life, in an attempt to strengthen partnerships between news organizations and the public.By gathering together integral commentaries on this movement, Assessing Public Journalism provides the necessary framework for examining the issues surrounding this controversial subject and for determining what must be done to enable public journalism to meet its full potential. Scholars, journalists, and concerned citizens will benefit from this vital study.