IN/LAB recently initiated a co-creative program called Beyond Experts. The program invites a group of experts with diverse perspectives on Stockholm’s vulnerable areas to dive into the challenges of news reporting in the areas — and explore how to meet them.
Pictured, starting from the right: Shade Amao Forssman, Kassim Nagwere, Filmon Tekle, Simon Matiwos, Molly Grönlund Müller, Hanna Schütz, Belenn Rebecka Bekele, Hermon Gebretensaye.
Our recent research conducted together with Järvaveckan Research found that 50 percent of people living in vulnerable areas* think the news contributes to a more negative public perception of them and their residential areas. Combining this with other findings from our work at IN/LAB, we have identified a pressing issue of residents in vulnerable areas expressing perceptions of the media working against them – rather than serving their needs. This is a broad challenge the media must take seriously.
With our new co-creation program Beyond Experts, we (IN/LAB) have invited experts to work alongside us to deepen our understanding of the challenge at hand and how it may be addressed by the news media. The program aims to 1) co-create a speculative prototype news experience that addresses the challenge, and 2) deliver actionable recommendations for Schibsted’s news organisations. Our hope is, in other words, to go beyond talking about the challenge and explore ways of meeting it.
Meet our experts The following experts have been selected to participate in the program:
Simon Matiwos, Freelance Poet and Pedagogue
Filmon Tekle, Process Manager, Save the Children Sweden
Kassim Nagwere, Founder of Drömstort
Shade Amao Forssman, Strategic Manager, VI BEHÖVS Fryshuset
The group works closely together with IN/LAB and editorial staff from Schibsted's Swedish newsrooms. Our prototyping will be supported by freelance UX-consultant Hanna Schütz.
– This group of experts was selected based on their diverse track record of solutions-oriented work with relevance to our challenge. We are very happy that this stellar group has chosen to join us! says Agnes Stenbom, Head of IN/LAB.
The Beyond Experts program started in October 2023 and will run until January 2024. Stay tuned for the results!
For inquiries, please contact:
Belenn Bekele
Program Manager
IN/LAB
E-mail: belenn.bekele@schibsted.com
*Vulnerable areas (”utsatta områden”) is a term created and defined by the Swedish Police. It describes areas with low socioeconomic status among the residents, and a notable degree of criminal influence on the local community (read more in Swedish here). In this text, we use this terminology as it is applied in the research report we reference and is commonly used in the Swedish public debate. However, we acknowledge its limitations since it is not a used term among residents in these areas. In our communication, we prefer alternative terms such as "outer city areas" (or "ytterstadsområden") or "the suburbs" ("förorten"). We believe it's essential to engage in discussions about terminology and contribute to a more comprehensive dialogue.