Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication has a proven dedication to working closely with its surrounding community for the benefit of both its students and its neighbors. The latest initiative in that mission is the creation of the Center for Community-Engaged Media (CCEM), an academic center that will spearhead and nurture community-focused journalism and media projects.
The CCEM will cultivate relationships between media creators, students, faculty and the local community, distinguishing it as a one-of-a-kind endeavor for learning and involvement. Klein College faculty will conduct research out of the center that will be shared nationally and internationally as media outlets seek to better connect with and serve citizens.
The center is being created with financial support from several foundations and individuals. Chief among those are Temple University trustee and alum Steve Charles, KLN ’80, and the Henry Luce Foundation, both of whom have made significant gifts.
“We are excited and energized by this opportunity,” said Klein College Dean David Boardman. “At a time when local and community news has never been more important, this center will provide models for effectively moving forward. And our talented students and faculty will help lead the way.”
Students, faculty and community members will have a variety of opportunities to participate in workshops, conferences and more to help influence the journalism and civic-media industries. Additionally, CCEM will build upon the research and experiences of faculty members such as Jillian Bauer-Reese and Andrea Wenzel, who, in recent years, have created community-centered news projects in the Philadelphia neighborhoods of Germantown and Kensington.
Wenzel said that the center may also build on Klein faculty's past work collaborating with news outlets seeking to make their journalism more equitable, such as on a 2020 content audit of The Philadelphia Inquirer
“We created the center to provide an infrastructure to sustain and build on the work Klein College has been doing to encourage better relationships between journalism and communities,” Wenzel wrote. “Having a center gives us a structure that we hope will allow such efforts to be more sustainable.”
The newly launched center has named its first director, Letrell Crittenden. Prior to joining Temple, he served as the director for community engagement at the American Press Institute (API). Crittenden was previously the editor and co-researcher with Wenzel for the Germantown Info Hub, a project to maximize access to news and information for Germantown’s residents.
Crittenden’s wealth of experience offers a unique perspective on understanding the needs of Philadelphia communities and what is impactful to them. In addition to his work with API, his positions included serving as program director and assistant professor of communication at Thomas Jefferson University and leading several community-centered media projects in Pennsylvania. He also worked as a police and government reporter porter, prior to his academic career.
“It is truly an honor to take this position with Temple University,” Crittenden stated. “My efforts in transforming how we serve the information needs of communities began in Philadelphia more than a decade ago, and I used my lessons from this city to serve newsrooms across the state and nation.”
Crittenden’s work aligns closely with CCEM’s goal of encouraging more equitable civic media. Crittenden developed the API Inclusion Index, a comprehensive scale to help newsrooms cover traditionally marginalized communities and draw attention to inequitable practices.
“The challenges facing us are complex. This center utilizes research, community engagement and targeted interventions to understand these challenges and come up with solutions to a multitude of issues,” Crittenden wrote. “While we may be housed at a university, our efforts are tailored to serving all who wish to improve how information flows within our communities.”