Nieman Foundation at Harvard
As resources (especially locally) in journalism recede, collaboration has emerged as a way to do more with more by sharing skills, networks, and other reporting tools for maximum impact. The third annual Collaborative Journalism Summit, organized by the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University and hosted this year by WHYY in Philadelphia, is, well, a collaborative collaboration geek-out. (There may have been “Collaborate or die” stickers.)
A big theme this year was how collaboration can be wielded beyond newsrooms and communities where the overwhelming number of (white) journalists are comfortable engaging. When you are collaborating, who’s included and who’s left out?
Equity rather than equality is a value of collaboration says Jean from @resolvephilly — not every news outlet comes to the table with the same time and resources. We're all people. #collaborativej
— Jessica Clark (@beyondbroadcast) May 16, 2019
Really good question by @denisejames. What’s the danger of collaborations replicating, amplifying the hegemony of the news organizations that participate? What happens when news orgs aren’t diverse to begin with? #collaborativej #collabj
— Angilee Shah (@angshah) May 17, 2019
A word we tend to forget about is "power" says Diana Montano from @reveal — trying to make sure that their reporting on communities is not extractive. Working to take extra steps to be relevant and responsive to needs of communities they report on. #collaborativej pic.twitter.com/oxP5p5zm3x
— Jessica Clark (@beyondbroadcast) May 17, 2019
A way to reach communities of color with reporting projects? Partner with media they actually consume says @multimediana_ @reveal #collaborativej
— Jessica Clark (@beyondbroadcast) May 17, 2019
The summit also serves as a gauge on the state of collaboration in the media industry, with this summary from the center’s director Stefanie Murray and others:
Emerging trends: Increased focus on impact, more collaborations between local and community/ethnic media, better learnings about best practices. #collaborativej
— Megan GriffithGreene (@griffithgreene) May 17, 2019
We’ve shared several case studies about collaboration among local, national, and regional outlets; here’s a sampling of projects mentioned (reported by us and others) at the summit:
Looking for all the projects talked about in this morning's series of lightning talks at the Collaborative Journalism Summit? #collaborativej Here's a thread:
— Heather Bryant (@HBCompass) May 17, 2019
And here’s a compilation of some of the best thoughts shared at the summit, including a presentation on the BBC local news partnership, a panel on the co-op model of news ownership, Diana Montaño and Darryl Holliday’s presentations about infusing collaboration with equity and equipping others, and more (think of this as a mini-collaboration):
Opening panel at Collaborative Journalism Summit has six women and one man. No disrespect to all the men here, but that is no accident — in my experience, women are much more likely to embrace the idea of collaboration. #collaborativej #genderavenger pic.twitter.com/9ulD16hZrU
— Dale Mezzacappa (@dalemezz) May 16, 2019
At the #collaborativej summit, there's discussion about opening up the world of journalism to NON-NEWS orgs.
YES! Journalists are not the only people in the business of providing information. Libraries, schools, nonprofits, historical societies. We should be working with them.
— Kristine Lois Villanueva (@kristine_ish) May 17, 2019
. @SandraSWClark says often collaboration must answer these questions: "What is the conversation you're trying to have, and who are you trying to bring to table?" #collaborativej https://t.co/9rFqkmDFvB
— Lenfest Institute (@lenfestinst) May 17, 2019
Working together to serve the public interest is going to be better than working separately to serve our individual interests, says @StefanieMurray #collaborativej cc #cdnmedia pic.twitter.com/Lt5LcwBpwM
— Brielle Morgan (@briellemimi) May 17, 2019
. @jeannyfr on @BrokeinPhilly: By having a critical mass of news organizations who are not looking at the causes of the problem…but also potential solutions, we have the possibility to make real change. #collaborativej
— Lenfest Institute (@lenfestinst) May 17, 2019
"We do better work when we take advantage of all our experiences…both of the people in our newsrooms and outside of them." — @HBCompass #collaborativej https://t.co/Xt36qQ1aVi
— Lenfest Institute (@lenfestinst) May 17, 2019
These projects take time, trust-building. pic.twitter.com/6amp3ybxt3
— Heather Bryant (@HBCompass) May 17, 2019
At present, 70% of American newspapers have no reporter in the state legislature. Newspapers could collaborate, and have in some states. #collaborativej cjc# pic.twitter.com/FoxoDcrgev
— Rick Thames (@rthames) May 17, 2019
Trust and standards (trusting those standards, too) were the biggest hurdles in the local news project @BBC says @M_R_Barra at #collaborativej
— 🗽 Aimee Rinehart 🗽 (@aimeetwoee) May 17, 2019
I always think about this. For JOC, that audience is hard won in a media ecosystem that encourages distrust. What makes it worth it, at what price or exchange, should we give that up to large institutions that have harmed us in the past? #collabj #collaborativej
— Angilee Shah (@angshah) May 17, 2019
Opening keynote by BBC on collaborative journalism offered great takeaways on how larger national pubs can support local news for mutual benefit. Looking at you, @nytimes. #collaborativej
— Ambreen Ali (@ambreenali) May 17, 2019
A common theme at #collaborativej this week: collaborative journalism project managers can learn from community organizing — not about doing activism, but rather how you reach, include and continually engage people.
— Rachel Glickhouse (@Riogringa) May 17, 2019
If you are tired of the community criticizing your newsroom, "call the community in and activate them," says @RispoliMike of lessons learned thru #StoriesOfAC at #collaborativej, sharing stage with @evansanchez and Alexandra Nunzi of The Leadership Studio pic.twitter.com/SR6yFdS4QJ
— meghan van dyk (@meghanvandyk) May 17, 2019
Since Parkland project collaborated with 214 student journalists across the country. "We thought it was their story to tell, not ours," says @KO_616 https://t.co/L2DZ2RWRHp #collaborativej
— Jessica Clark (@beyondbroadcast) May 17, 2019
"Work with people who already know where they are," says @KO_616.
Yes! #collaborativej
— Nichole Dobo (@nicholedobo) May 17, 2019
I don’t think there’s anything that makes me more excited than journalism that makes sense of local elections and enables people to be empowered voters. Bravo to @ChicagoReporter and their partner outlets for #chivote https://t.co/OQgCW7CQhQ #CollaborativeJ pic.twitter.com/UBoCzigzr1
— Ariel Zirulnick (@azirulnick) May 17, 2019
Good solutions journalism is just solid investigative journalism from a different angle. This works? Prove it. How could it be better? What’s the data? It forces us to ask more questions. Not just “this is a problem” but “what happens next?" – @MelaniePlenda #collaborativej
— Megan GriffithGreene (@griffithgreene) May 17, 2019
The voices of those who are closest to the challenges are also the voices of those closest to the solutions.
– @cassiegoeschirp of the @resolvephilly Reentry Project, on centering the expertise of formerly incarcerated people. #collaborativej— Wendi C. Thomas (@wendi_c_thomas) May 17, 2019
Co-ops are 1 member, 1 vote. Typically organized in US to make money. Three main types: Worker-owner, consumer co-ops and shared services co-op, which is of businesses that decide to work together b/c they have needs they can’t meet independently, says @jgksf #collaborativej pic.twitter.com/jgw4D8IlmR
— Wendi C. Thomas (@wendi_c_thomas) May 17, 2019
We turned two 🎂! To mark the occasion we are sharing what we learned about building a collaborative investigative local journalism network in a guide, with the hope it can inspire more to join this space! #JournalismMatters #eijc19 #collaborativej https://t.co/sZRETdNE6p
— The Bureau Local (@bureaulocal) May 17, 2019
@aimeetwoee just blew my mind with her plenary on @firstdraftnews CrossCheck. Mulingual help – on a global scale – for identifying and tracking misinformation #collaborativej pic.twitter.com/SGR3CU7UX2
— thefuturewasnow (@thefuturewasnow) May 17, 2019
Impressed by this self-examination from @MPR #collaborativej pic.twitter.com/bEcNitC9jI
— Ariel Zirulnick (@azirulnick) May 17, 2019
A public health and journalism partnership to get Narcan in more hands to prevent opioid overdoses. Incredible! @kwstark @CPHIatUPenn #collaborativej pic.twitter.com/7dgJPTC3os
— Wendi C. Thomas (@wendi_c_thomas) May 17, 2019
Even at the assignment level, when the story is in development, editors and people with power have to ask, what can someone in the community you are covering learn from this story? What’s new for them? #collaborativej #collabj @multimediana_ raising important issues! https://t.co/WhzzLNSM11
— Angilee Shah (@angshah) May 17, 2019
"This is how we democratize jounrnalism," says @d_holli of @city_bureau at #collaborativej summit in Philly. Cc #cdnmedia @thediscourse pic.twitter.com/IYcqUP5xxD
— Brielle Morgan (@briellemimi) May 17, 2019
This is the thing I’ll probably leave @CenterCoopMedia’s #CollaborativeJ summit thinking about most: what *equitable* collaborations look like, and how that isn’t the same as an equal collaboration. Slide from @reveal’s @multimediana_ , but heard this from many collab leaders. pic.twitter.com/Z22QIISGnP
— Ariel Zirulnick (@azirulnick) May 17, 2019
