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To many news outlets, community engagement is about listening, identifying and delivering on needs. But there is an extra step we are missing: making sure the stories make a tangible difference to people's lives. In other words, helping communities engage with the world around them, not just the news.

This is according to Anita Li, publisher and CEO of The Green Line, a Canadian hyperlocal solutions-focused news outlet, which launched in 2022.

Her approach, which she dubs community engagement 2.0, involves providing practical guidance to her community in Toronto on how to navigate their lives and solve the most essential of problems: housing, jobs, commuting, health, and food.

In this week's podcast, Li explains how she does this with a four-step process she calls "the action journey model". This has led her to design and develop several unorthodox - but very handy - news products, like eviction guides or cost of living calculators. Products that are informed and tailor-made for her community.

Catch up with our last episode: What does it mean to serve a local community? With Ed Jennings and Steven Keevil

And check out the Journalism.co.uk podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

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