An investigative journalist and a stand-up comic walk into a bar

The role of comedy in public engagement with environmental journalism

Bibliographic Data

ID7477703
AuthorsCaty Borum Chattoo (American University School of Communication and Center for Media & Social Impact, USA, corresponding author), Lindsay Green-Barber (0009-0002-3027-5956, The Impact Architects, USA)
Year2018
Volume22
Issue1
Pages196-214
Publication date2018-03-18
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournalism (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1464-8849 • E-ISSN: 1741-3001
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/1464884918763526
OpenAlexW2790115818
LanguageEN
Citations received12
References cited19

Public engagement with investigative journalism content is a challenging pursuit in the competitive digital era. As investigative journalism organizations innovate to engage the public, leveraging comedy may be worth considering, given comedy’s ability to attract attention and encourage public sharing. To explore this proposition, an investigative reporting collaborative project about toxic environmental contamination in New Jersey, Dirty Little Secrets, worked with stand-up comics to translate investigative news material into stand-up comedy routines performed in front of two live audiences. Through post-viewing surveys, this study found that the stand-up comedy show audiences learned factual information and perceived comedians as credible sources of environmental contamination information. In-depth interviews with one participating journalist and four participating stand-up comics reveal a positive collaborative experience

Advertising · Art · Business · Comedy · Comics · Journalism · Media studies · Newspaper · Political science · Public engagement · Public relations · Sociology · Visual arts · Humor Studies and Applications · Media Influence and Health · Media Studies and Communication · Law

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