Building Collaboration in NC: [Part 1] Starting Your Collaborative Efforts

From choosing partners to understanding the historical relationships in your local news ecosystem, a lot goes into launching a journalism collaborative. In this training, you will learn what’s been tried, what to expect and what steps you need to take from the start to ensure success.

We’ll break down the following:

• Models of collaboration
• How does equity play a role?
• What does success look like? Why do good collaborations fail?
• Radical transparency - how do we navigate problems?
• Creating a Memorandum of Understanding
• What about a director?

You'll walk away with these insights and tools:

• Roles and structures needed
• Sample MOU
• Sample employee contract
• Sample collaborative story budget

Guest Speakers:

• Lyndsey Gilpin, founder and executive editor of Southerly

Your Hosts:

From starting a collaborative to fundraising, join Shannan Bowen and Chris Rudisill for a three-part training on Building Collaboration in NC. Each workshop will include tools that you can use, whether you are thinking of launching a collaborative or hoping to strengthen the partnerships you already have. All workshops will be on Zoom and include a 30-minute open consultation time with presenters.

Shannan Bowen is the executive director of the NC Local News Workshop. Having started her professional career as a reporter at the Wilmington StarNews, Bowen is well versed in North Carolina’s media landscape and previously served as director of product engagement for McClatchy.

Chris Rudisill is the director of the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative. With a combined background in nonprofit leadership, communications and journalism, Rudisill specializes in empowering organizations to achieve mission-based initiatives, build sustainability and increase their impact on local communities.

Register for the series:

Workshop 2: Forming Non-Newsroom Partnerships

Workshop 3: Funding Your Collaborative