RESOURCES

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By Samantha Ragland and Kevin Loker

Americans need accurate, contextual news and information to make decisions that help our communities thrive. It’s tempting to think that means news leaders need only focus on gathering and publishing facts. But local news has other essential roles that complement and enhance reporting.

Media should also be a force for social connection, a convener of people across differences and a facilitator for what to do after the facts are laid bare.

In some ways, local and community-based media have long served this role. Opinion sections, for instance, are one way legacy newspapers have created space for conversation about what people find important or necessary. Radio talk shows do this, too, as do the various in-person and online forums we’ve seen with the rise and growth of the internet.

The uncertainties and challenges of today’s world, however, make this role even more necessary and relevant. Now is the time to experiment as we reflect on the social isolation and other societal ills that were worsened or exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Too much digital social interaction and limited in-person connection come with substantial challenges. And facts alone don’t steer people away from misinformation and toward truth.

When we look at conversations about “news deserts,” perhaps the role local media can play as convener should be in the same breath as the importance of covering City Hall.

Many API partners and collaborators inspire us as conveners in their communities contributing to the public good. It happens when:

• Cardinal News hosts a forum with politicians on state legislative priorities or Baltimore Beat gathers youth to inform their election products.
• Mississippi Free Press hosts “solutions circles” to raise up community members’ ideas for addressing community problems.
• Signal Ohio convenes community members as Documenters to monitor public meetings and also connect and learn from each other.
• Pittsburgh-area news organizations band together for an ecosystem-wide community advisory board to create accountability for coverage in the region.
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But you also see it when:

• The Tennessean hosts storytelling events to help community members share their voices and experiences.
• Blue Ridge Public Radio hosts trivia nights for curious and creative community members and broadens the reach of its news in an engaging format.
• Radio Ambulante facilitates “listening clubs” to help people discuss what they heard on a podcast.
• Richland Source hosts a concert series to spotlight local independent music.
• The Big Bend Sentinel is tied to a physical gathering space, a coffee shop and bar.

All of these add to or enhance how Americans use news and information to make decisions and thrive.

Yet we should be realistic about the challenges. Good convening requires strong facilitation skills, influential and empathic leadership skills, and different listening skills than an interview — things many journalists likely didn’t learn or anticipate when they signed up for the job. To be good conveners, local media need resources and opportunity to equip their journalists with these skills.

Imagine the payoff. More people could know a journalist, which could increase trust. Likewise, more could find opportunity to connect across difference, which could increase social cohesion. In-person events especially could open first, new opportunities for community relationships and second new forms of revenue for local media. And the very same skills that help news leaders convene and facilitate with their external community will empower them to lead with influence internally. 

This article first appeared on the American Press Institute's website

 Safety Ambassadors Fellowship Ends on Sun, Nov 23, 2025 11:59 PM

With support from the Press Forward, the International Women’s Media Foundation is expanding its Newsroom Safety Across Americainitiative to train 3,000 local journalists across the U.S. and to support small newsrooms build and implement safety policies. This initiative focuses on creating a sustainable safety infrastructure for local news through the development of a cohort of dedicated Safety Ambassadors.

Safety Ambassadors will serve as a resource within their journalism communities, gaining the knowledge and tools to serve as the first line of defense against the evolving risks U.S. reporters and newsrooms face. They will become experts on risk assessment and gain a holistic understanding of the physical, digital and psychosocial safety threats facing local journalists and newsrooms today. 

After completing the program, Safety Ambassadors will be equipped to:

• Deliver virtual and in-person workshops on areas of relevant safety expertise
• Support your peers in the news profession and future cohorts of Safety Ambassadors
• Be featured as IWMF Safety Ambassadors at journalism conferences, trainings, and other industry events.

Over the course of the program fellows will receive:

• Individualized mentoring and advice from leading journalism safety experts
• A small stipend to support their participation in the program
• Potential for paid opportunities with IWMF and partners upon successful completion of the program

Eligibility

• Must be working in journalism and passionate about supporting safety of journalists, especially in local newsrooms.
• Must have a desire to teach, train and learn.
• Must be willing to commit 10 hours per month over a 6-month period.
• Must commit to delivering 4 training sessions upon successful completion of the program.
• We seek diversity of lived experiences as well as geographic diversity in this program. Applicants must be based in the U.S.
• This program is open to journalists of all genders.

About the IWMF's Safety Work

As the leading provider of identity-informed, holistic safety training and resources for journalists and newsrooms – with a focus on women and nonbinary reporters – in the U.S. and globally, the IWMF has trained thousands of journalists to enhance their safety online and offline.