Weekly dilemmas: A study of community journalism, connections and ethics in small towns

Journalists at weekly newspapers are able to connect with their communities by practicing community journalism. But it's not always an easy approach. Conflicts of interest of varying degrees occur when journalists are intimately involved in their communities. In a small town, those conflicts arise frequently. Journalists often are writing stories about organizations they belong to or people they know personally.; This research paper explores the connections weekly journalists have with their communities, and what potential problems those connections can cause for journalists living and working in small towns. It also provides examples of how journalists' civic and social ties influence decisions about coverage of local issues and events. And finally, this paper demonstrates how small-town journalists make decisions when faced with advertising and community pressures.; Interviews were conducted with employees of five weekly newspapers in northeast and central Kansas---the Washington County News, the Osawatomie Graphic, The Coffey County Republican, the Marion County Record and the Chase County Leader-News---and with members of the communities. The findings from the case studies reflected in this paper add to the literature of the community journalism discipline.