To build meaningful relationships with rural communities, journalists must be willing to get out of their digital comfort zones and engage with the people who live there.

This doesn’t mean you won’t be using digital tools to engage with rural communities. It just means it probably shouldn’t be your first choice.

We’ve gathered 7 ways journalists can connect with rural communities — good for during pandemic and non-pandemic times — and you’ll see it involves a lot of person-to-person conversations.

And remember, before you make one phone call, define the community you want to reach and why. It will help you focus on the right questions and how you can be a resource to trust.

Here are our 7 ideas.

1. Be a resource for community groups

Reach out to social institutions such as libraries, nursing homes, community newspaper, town/city government, and schools to explain how you can be a resource for them. Find out how they already communicate with their community (posters, flyers, email) and ask how you can be part of it.

2. Make your reporter available

Share all the ways the community can reach the reporter. Email or via regularly scheduled phone office hours or a scheduled live chat on a social media platform.

If you have access to digital tools such as a texting tool, explain how it works and how to join it.

3. Piggyback off social groups

Elks lodges, Lions Clubs, Rotary International, local United Way and AARP chapters, parent associations, local chambers of commerce are established community nodes. Tap into their expertise and ask for help.

4. Hold a conference call with community stakeholders

Focus the conversation on what the community's needs are and how can everyone (including the station) can collaborate to address them. Ideally, set it up as a video call so you — and the stakeholders — can put names with faces.

5. Subscribe to newsletters of existing institutions

You can learn what the community's concerns are, how it is responding and find others to connect with. 

6. Use a very specific promo on air

Be powerful and transparent.

Try: “COVID-19 is changing communities rapidly. __(station ID)___ wants to know how it’s affecting  ___(targeted community)__ . What are you concerned about? And what questions do you still need answered? If you live in ___(targeted community)__ we want to hear from you. Leave us a message at 555-555-5555.”

7. Ask people to record themselves

• Ask people to record voice memos on their smartphones and email or text you the file.

• Buy a flip video camera ($200-$250) or an iPad ($350-$450) and give it to people to record themselves and have them return it to you. Bonus: You have a video to share, too.