How can you collaborate with local news organizations to report on your community?

If you are passionate about reporting on your community, you might want to collaborate with local news organizations to amplify your voice, reach a wider audience, and learn from experienced journalists. However, working with local media can also be challenging, especially if you have different goals, styles, and resources. In this article, we will share some tips on how to collaborate with local news organizations to report on your community effectively and ethically.

1 Identify potential partners

The first step to collaborate with local news organizations is to identify potential partners that share your interest, vision, and values. You can research online, attend events, network with other reporters, and contact editors or producers directly. Look for news outlets that cover topics relevant to your community, have a reputation for accuracy and credibility, and are open to new ideas and perspectives. You can also consider joining or creating a network of independent or community-based media makers that can support each other and collaborate with local news organizations.

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2 Pitch your stories

Once you have identified potential partners, you need to pitch your stories to them. A good pitch should be concise, clear, and compelling. It should explain why your story is important, timely, and relevant to their audience, what sources and evidence you have, and how you plan to tell it. You should also highlight your unique perspective, expertise, or access to your community, and how it can add value to their coverage. Be prepared to answer questions, negotiate terms, and follow their guidelines and standards.

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Brian Olson

Ret. Retired “Future Shock - Shock Absorber,” CSBR “Cosmic Contributor,’ RTNDA Board Member, 2-time Murrow Awards Judge
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Your pitch needs to answer just one question: “So what?” Sounds simple because it is. What will be the impact? Who will be impacted?

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Barbara Stromberg

Translocation EN-DE | Copyediting German | Specialist for Specialist Texts | Journalist, Copywriter and Editor
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Redaktionen brauchen Themen und Geschichten, die interessant für die Leser sind. Das heißt: Sie sind entweder nützlich oder unterhaltsam.

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3 Communicate regularly

Communication is key to any successful collaboration. You should communicate regularly with your partner news organization throughout the reporting process. You should update them on your progress, challenges, and changes in your story. You should also seek feedback, guidance, and support from them, and be open to suggestions and criticism. You should respect their deadlines, policies, and expectations, and inform them of any issues or conflicts that might arise. You should also acknowledge their contribution and credit them in your story.

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Barbara Stromberg

Translocation EN-DE | Copyediting German | Specialist for Specialist Texts | Journalist, Copywriter and Editor
(edited)
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Ganz wichtig dabei: Pressemitteilungen sind in der Regel die schlechteste Wahl, um die Redaktionen zu informieren. Sie sind hilfreich für Hintergrundinfos, aber das sind Internetseite und Blog auch. Besser: Kurze Mails, die genau zeigen, warum es für die Leser relevant ist, mehr drüber zu wissen.

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4 Share your resources

Another way to collaborate with local news organizations is to share your resources with them. Resources can include data, documents, contacts, tips, tools, or platforms. Sharing resources can help you and your partner news organization enhance your reporting, access new information, and save time and money. However, you should also be careful about protecting your sources, data, and intellectual property, and avoid sharing sensitive or confidential information without permission or consent. You should also respect the copyright and attribution of the resources you use or share.

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Abam Kammonke

CEO at Profiles & Biographies
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Exactly so. We share resources. Currently, for instance, a community-based blog and our medium are partnering to launch a campaign to assemble the largest vintage photos of heroes and legends of the community for proper attribution and acknowledgment for their contributions to the development of the community

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5 Learn from each other

Collaborating with local news organizations can also be a great learning opportunity. You can learn from each other's skills, experiences, and insights. You can ask questions, seek advice, and exchange feedback. You can also observe how they work, what tools and techniques they use, and how they handle challenges and ethical dilemmas. You can also share your own knowledge, skills, and insights with them, and help them understand your community better. You can also explore new ways of storytelling, reporting, and engaging with your audience.

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Barbara Stromberg

Translocation EN-DE | Copyediting German | Specialist for Specialist Texts | Journalist, Copywriter and Editor
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Das kann ich so nicht unterschreiben. Warum es auf jeden Fall einen Effekt hat: Unternehmen erhalten Feedback darüber, welche Themen ihre Zielgruppe wirklich interessieren und wie sie Informationen erhalten wollen.

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6 Evaluate your collaboration

The last step to collaborate with local news organizations is to evaluate your collaboration. You should reflect on what worked well, what didn't, and what you can improve. You should also measure the impact and outcome of your collaboration, such as the reach, engagement, and feedback of your audience, the quality and diversity of your coverage, and the relationship and trust between you and your partner news organization. You should also celebrate your achievements, thank your partner news organization, and plan for future collaborations.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Barbara Stromberg

Translocation EN-DE | Copyediting German | Specialist for Specialist Texts | Journalist, Copywriter and Editor
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Wenn es mit dem ersten Pitch bei der Redaktion nicht klappt, heißt das erstmal gar nichts. Es kann sein, dass der Zeitpunkt unpassend war, die Redaktion gerade keine Platz oder keine Zeit, keine Ressourcen oder Lust auf das Thema hatte oder oder oder .. Natürlich ist es sinnvoll, nachzufragen, woran es liegt, wenn mehrere Pitches, die man für vielversprechend hielt, ohne Wirkung verpuffen.

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How can you collaborate with local news organizations to report on your community?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Identify potential partners

2 Pitch your stories

3 Communicate regularly

4 Share your resources

5 Learn from each other

6 Evaluate your collaboration

7 Here’s what else to consider

Content Development

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How can you collaborate with local news organizations to report on your community?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Identify potential partners

2 Pitch your stories

3 Communicate regularly

4 Share your resources

5 Learn from each other

6 Evaluate your collaboration

7 Here’s what else to consider

Content Development

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