Use This: How to seek local reporting support through national partners
When I ask people what's needed in local news, the answer often focuses on reporting: more reporters, training to improve quality, ways to attract and keep local talent Here are five opportunities for North Carolina newsrooms to work with national partners:
Report for America matches salaries
Applications have opened for local newsrooms to seek salary matches to hire reporters in 2019 through Report for America, an ambitious new initiative from the GroundTruth Project. The program launched this year with about a dozen reporters and aims to scale up eventually with a big goal of putting 1,000 reporters in local newsrooms, The New York Times reported.
From the application announcement:
"Any type of news organization -- nonprofit, commercial, text, audio, video etc. -- can apply. You'll be asked: What are the important gaps in the coverage in your community? How would you use RFA corps members to address that gap? Report for America pays about half of an entry level salary. The rest is split between the news organizations and local donors. The (extremely talented) reporter becomes an employee of your newsroom, serving for one-to-two years, starting June 2019. Questions? Try the FAQs, download an application tip sheet, or contact us directly."
To get a sense of a winning pitch, here are summaries of the plans by the 2018 class. Kevin D. Grant, cofounder and executive editor at GroundTruth, said via email that Report for America is looking to place about 30 reporters this year and to scale up to 250 by 2020.
More from Kevin Grant:
"RFA corps members are full-time employees of the news organizations themselves, using the entry-level pay scale of the organization plus benefits. Editorial decision making rests solely with the news organizations, and RFA's role is to help recruit, interview, train, mentor and support the corps members during and after their time in the newsrooms. RFA is an initiative of the nonprofit media organization The GroundTruth Project, which works with partners like Google News Lab, Society of Professional Journalists, Solutions Journalism Network, Poynter Institute, Maynard Institute and the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.
"Reporters may have just a couple years of experience or several, and we welcome applicants seeking to make a career change from other complementary fields including education, military and national service. In addition to covering stories and communities that would likely not be covered otherwise, corps members receive ongoing training and mentorship, perform local community service and have the opportunity to work on a collaborative, in-depth project on one of the major stories they uncover in their first months on the job."
Deadline is Oct. 31 for the newsroom applications. Later, Report from America will open the application process for reporters who want to participate. Contact Grant to learn more.
If you're a North Caroilna newsroom that's interested and not sure how to explore local funding opportunities, or just want to talk it over, contact me. Hit reply or this link.
ProPublica expands its Local Reporting Network
ProPublica announced today that it's doubling the size of its year-old Local Reporting Network to support accountability reporting on state government or politics by seven local newsrooms in 2019.
The deadline is Sept. 14 for applications for the state government reporting network, with selections announced on October and reporters starting work by Jan. 2. ProPublica pays salary and benefits for a reporter for a year, and provides all kinds of additional support for both newsroom and journalist..
Here's lots of information on the state government expansion and how to apply.
ProPublica, the New York-based investigative newsroom, launched its Local Reporting Network in January with seven newsrooms, chosen from nearly 300 applicants. The project has produced a string of high-impact stories and put a national spotlight on some of the ongoing challenges of local reporting, including obstacles to public records and information.
This is a little confusing, so hang in: This means there are two different deadlines for newsrooms that want to apply to be part of the Local Reporting Network in 2019. The first, Sept. 14, will be for organizations that want to pitch state government/politics projects. The second deadline, which will be announced a little later, will be open to proposals on any topic.
The Local Reporting Network is overseen by Senior Editor Charles Ornstein, who joined ProPublica early on from the Los Angeles Times and whose work covering health and other investigations included lots of help for other journalists. Here's more from Ornstein, shared via emai, about the overall goals:
"We're seeking projects that are important to local communities, raise accountability questions, and which newsrooms would likely not be able to accomplish without our support. Not only do we cover the salary and benefits for a specific reporter for a year, we also help bring ProPublica's 'special sauce' to the project, including help with conceptualizing and editing stories, research support, story design, engagement and social media strategy, and data and news application building, where it makes sense. We're looking for project ideas that make our editors and reporters want to turn to a colleague and say, 'Wow, have you heard about...?' We want project ideas that are thought through, in which the reporter has solid reason to believe that the facts match the hypothesis, but not ones in which all or even most of the reporting is done. Finally, for project ideas that involve national topics -- opioid overdoses, mental health care, climate change -- the pitch should demonstrate why we should pick your news organization and community above all others confronting the same challenge. As we did last year, my staff and I are willing to provide feedback on pitches before our deadline.'
Watch the ProPublica site or Twitter feed. Email Ornstein to learn more and to run preliminary ideas by him or his staff.
Reveal Local Labs seeks cities
Another new initiative, Reveal Local Labs from the Center for Investigative Reporting and its Reveal newsroom, will focus on four cities to "foster local news collaborations and advance community-focused, in-depth investigative storytelling."
Ziva Branstetter, Reveal senior editor, said the team is still scouting cities and hopes to announce its first site soon. Reveal has hired a local collaborations editor, veteran journalist Bobby Calvan, and interested newsrooms should email Calvan right away to discuss prospects. More from Branstetter:
"We plan to work with the local partners intensively over a 12-month period at each site to produce investigations and community engagement as well as training including an IRE Watchdog Workshop.
"In selecting these sites, we are looking for news organizations that have a history of collaboration with other partners in the market or at least an enthusiastic willingness to collaborate with identified media organizations. We're also looking for support from top management and at least one staff member who can do the hands-on work needed to complete their media outlet's part of the project. We are particularly interested in partnerships that include nontraditional media outlets covering diverse communities."
Also from Reveal: Join a reporting network
Building on an ongoing investigation into people in drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs being forced to work for little or no pay for private companies, Reveal is developing a national reporting network for journalists and organizations digging into the topic. The series, "All Work, No Pay," has included a series of revelations about a North Carolina program. If you're interested, contact Byard Duncan, Reveal's engagement reporter.
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Storylines: The coast, Part II
- Just after I wrapped NC Local last week, legislative reporter Kirk Ross sent me links to his latest special report for Coastal Review Online, "The Riggings," In two installments, Ross explains how new legislation written to help a 1980s-era condominium complex on the south end of Kure Beach illustrates so much about the challenges of coastal erosion and beachfront development. It's a long story and a good one, with the bonus of learning about coquina rock, perigean spring tides and the complex forces affecting both this stretch of coast and an upcoming Coastal Resources Commission decision on whether to provide a temporary solution for the Riggings condo owners. (See last week's NC Local for Part I of my roundup of standout North Carolina coastal stories from this summer.)
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Bulletin board
New editors at QCity and News Reporter; CPP jobs; WSHA
- QCityMetro has a new managing editor who also aims to amp up the site's social media content and connections, founder and editor Glenn Burkins announced last week. She's Katrina Louis, who has worked in communications roles and moved to Charlotte three years ago as a newcomer. She shared her plans for the new job. Burkins' announcement touched on QCity's growth in audience, sponsorship and advertising for its website, newsletters and other services and added: "We’ll also be rolling out some new surprises as our 10th anniversary approaches."
- The Whiteville News Reporter has a new editor, Justin Smith, several other staffers in new roles and an updated plan for moving forward with its community news mission, Publisher Les High told readers in a recent column. Smith, a Columbus County native and former WECT reporter, was special assistant to the chancellor at UNC-Pembroke. High's column described the transformation efforts under way at the family owned, twice-weekly paper, including a new web design, an app-in-the-works and shifts in business strategy, including a new emphasis on circulation revenue. The publisher also explained how he and Smith decided to handle a major challenge: Smith is on the Whiteville City Council.
- Carolina Public Press is hiring a full-time development director, investigative reporter and part-time news and community partnerships manager, part of the Asheville-based nonprofit organization's expansion this year. Follow this link for job descriptions and application guidance.
- Working journalists can apply for fellowships to attend the University of South Carolina's Media Law School, described as "an intensive seminar that teaches journalists about criminal law and procedure with a focus on how to more effectively cover trials and the judicial process." This is the third year for the program, scheduled for Sept. 19-22 in Columbia, S.C., and sponsored by the American Board of Trial Advocates. Contact Carmen Maye with questions. (Hat tip to the N.C. Press Association newsletter)
- Early last week, public radio mainstay WSHA-FM signed off after 50 years of music and public service from the campus of Shaw University, and contemporary Christian music, news headlines and other programming took its place at 88.9 FM. The News & Observer reported on the changeover, which happened after the university closed its $3.5 million sale of the station and translators in Fayetteville, Rocky Mount and Lumberton, to California-based nonprofit Educational Media Foundation. Along with blues, jazz, gospel and world music and NPR news, WSHA brought countless community voices to the air and gave listeners access to regular call-in and interview programs featuring state cabinet officials, experts and community leaders. In reports on the sale, university officials said they planned to overhaul Shaw’s mass communications program and continue training students in broadcast and other skills.
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The Local View: DTH in Raleigh
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The Daily Tar Heel alumni networking tour came to The News & Observer's new Raleigh offices July 19 for a reception and panel with DTH alumni and N&Oers (from left) John Drescher, Zachery Eanes, Thad Ogburn, Scott Sharpe and Robyn Tomlin. (Photo by yours truly, also part of the DTH/N&O clubs)
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