Engaged journalism scales “Engaged journalism needs to be integral to how we report the news, not a side effort we roll out on occasion.” We simply can’t set an editorial agenda without the input of the people we are trying to serve. We need to understand that producing a map of food pantries can be as impactful as an investigation. And we can’t assume the journalism we produce will find its way into the hands of the people most in need of the information. In 2021, news organizations with public service missions must examine how many of their resources go towards serving “the public” and rapidly reallocate. I say that based on experience and evidence that engaging our audience directly is also a path to building more sustainable news operations.