Philly nonprofit UliftU. Credit: The Philadelphia Citizen
What is the Local Media Project?
The Local Media Project (LMP) is a multi-year initiative launched by Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) in 2019 with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation to strengthen and reinvigorate local media ecosystems.
How does the LMP achieve this goal?
The LMP has catalyzed 15 collaboratives that have or are reporting on a pressing challenge in their communities with a solutions journalism perspective in order to change the prevailing negative narrative around the issue and stimulate audience engagement. Collaboratives complete a two-year residency with the project.
What happens at the end of the two years?
At the end of the two years, each collaborative has or will have developed a sustainability plan, including editorial, business and audience engagement strategies, and move forward as a permanent news hub to practice journalism using a solutions lens. These collaboratives are members of a network of collaboratives, giving them the opportunity to share knowledge, gain access to best practices and discuss innovative revenue and engagement ideas.
Our Collaboratives
— Southwest Michigan Collaborative
— Dallas Media Collaborative
— Great Salt Lake Collaborative
— Fort Wayne Media Collaborative
— Southern New Mexico Journalism Collaborative
— Climate Solutions
— Resolve Philly
— Solving Sacramento
— Wichita Journalism Collaborative
— Charlotte Journalism Collaborative
— Northeast Ohio Solutions Journalism Collaborative
— Granite State News Collaborative
— Delaware Journalism Collaborative
— New Jersey Stormwater Matters Collaborative
— New York/Michigan Solutions Journalism Collaborative
Resources
The Local Media Project has conducted research and interviews, written articles and case studies, and participated in interviews to share what we have learned and what others can use in their own work.
Webinar
So You Want to Start or Fund a Collaborative
Journalistic collaboration is more important than ever but it can be daunting. How do you reconcile the interested of so many newsrooms? Who's "in charge"? How do decisions get made? The Solutions Journalism Network's Local Media Project helped launch 15 collabs in five years, and you can bet there's been some learning along the way. In this webinar, we try to demystify the process so you can get to the great work and overcome those fears.
Articles
Lessons from 9 Solutions Journalism Network collaboratives
How three news collaboratives are tackling the COVID-19 crisis with an eye toward what’s working
Raising money is hard. Spending it is harder
Want to quantify solutions? Build a data center
Sharing skills outside the newsroom: How “🔎 Public Records Are Power 💪” opened journalists’ knowledge to audiences
Research
Collaborative Scaffolding: The Key to Successful Collaborative Journalism
Leveraging Solutions Journalism for Revenue Growth
Case studies
Collaborative Case Study II: The Charlotte Journalism Collaborative
Collaborative Case Study III: Resolve Philly
Collaboratives: You have to want to be there
Guides and playbooks
Gathering Toward Solutions: A Community Event Playbook for Journalism Collaboratives
Strategies for Tracking Impact: A Toolkit for Collaborative Journalism
The Reentry Project: A Collaborative Playbook
The Collaborative Sustainability Guide: How to Earn Revenue to Grow and Thrive
Problem Solving for Collaborative Project Managers: How to Cut Through the Chaos and Lead with Confidence
Awards Received by our Collaboratives
New Jersey Stormwater Matters Collaborative
First Place NJPA weekly awards for Responsible Journalism - Public Service - Lloyd P. Burns Memorial Award
Granite State News Collaborative
2022 Fitzwater Medallion for Public Service
Invisible Walls series was honored by Housing Action NH, a coalition of 80 organizations united around affordable housing policy, during its “Home Matters in NH Awards.”
2022 First Place in Excellence in Newsroom Collaboration for COVID coverage awarded by New England News and Press Association
Climate Solutions Pennsylvania
Received $10,000 from America Amplified for a Climate Solutions focus group
Resolve Philly & Broke in Philly
Winner, 2023 INN Service to Nonprofit News Award
Winner, 2023 Online News Association (ONA) Impact Award
Philadelphia News Awards awarded by the Pen and Pencil Club:
2018 Investigative Work of the Year: Broke in Philly
2018 Associated Press Media Editors Awards for Community Engagement: The Reentry Project
2017 Best Non-Traditional News Provider of the Year: The Reentry Project
Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative
Collaborative member Watershed Voice received a LION award in the Public Service category for its solutions journalism story on the PAWS clinic for students in Three Rivers, Michigan.
Collaborative member Now Kalamazoo was honored by the Michigan Press Association for third place in writing and first place in feature story for Finding Peace During War, part of the collaborative's series on mental wellness.
New York & Michigan Collaborative
Second place from the New York Press Association for a solutions journalism package on the caregiver shortage
Great Salt Lake Collaborative
Winner, 2023 ONA Excellence in Collaboration and Partnerships
Winner, Local That Works Contest
Society of Professional Journalists Top of the Rockies awards:
First place, public service: Great Salt Lake Collaborative
Second place, multimedia story: "Solutions found for Great Salt Lake in Sin City? What happens in Vegas shouldn’t stay in Vegas"
First place, best solutions journalism story: "At water's edge: Searching for solutions at the Great Salt Lake's sister lakes across the Great Basin"
Second place, best solutions journalism story: "Solutions found for Great Salt Lake in Sin City? What happens in Vegas shouldn’t stay in Vegas"
Charlotte Journalism Collaborative
Winner of WCNC’s 2020 Edward R. Murrow Award for News Series with "I Can’t Afford to Live Here"
Local Media Project team
Amy Maestas, director collaboratives
Liza Gross, senior advisor, collaboratives
Delaney Butler, regional collaborative manager
Alex Frost, operations assistant
