“Collaboration” has become a new buzz term in the journalism world.
With many local newsrooms trying to do more with less these days, looking outside your newsroom to partner with other local news publications can have the effect of having a larger, more diverse staff that can cover more topics, more areas of your region, and be more representative of your community.
In this guide, we will walk you through key questions to ask when considering a partnership, as well as ideas and tips for success and best practices for cross-newsroom collaboration.
We will also profile a successful partnership between the newsrooms at The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News, outlining how they did it, from the formal arrangement to working together on stories, events and more.
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How you can use the Guide:
This Guide provides practical tips and advice to help ensure a successful news publishing partnership, from identifying potential partners, to getting to know your partner, to leveraging your partnership outside the newsroom and over the long-term.
Throughout the Guide, there are helpful worksheets for you to fill in as you go, prompting you to think about key questions you should ask yourself as you are exploring and navigating a new partnership. Tips and ideas are sprinkled throughout the Guide to help build and strengthen the partnership and resulting coverage.
The case study with The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News provides a model for a successful partnership that is respectful, strategic and utilizes effective communications. Their journey provides a useful road map for other newsrooms who are looking to expand their coverage, as well as ensure their reporting is more inclusive and representative of their community. Insightful commentary from both publishers offers the keys to their success.
What you’ll find in the Guide:
- Key questions to ask yourself as you are thinking about a partner (e.g., What gaps in your coverage could a partner help fill?)
- Tips and ideas to try as you explore a potential partnership and when working with a partner
- Ways to deepen your understanding of and relationship with your partner across the organization
- Interactive worksheets to organize your thoughts and priorities; brainstorm potential partners; think about collaboration opportunities outside of the newsroom; consider potential challenges and responses; etc.
- Handling breaking news coverage
- Communicating publicly about your partnership
- What has made The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News partnership successful and how to apply the learnings
- Key takeaways to help ensure your partnership is a success
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Sneak Peek:
Click on the thumbnails below to view select pages of the Guide. (Click the Back button in your browser to return to this page.)
Additional Resources:
News Media Alliance:
Center for Cooperative Media:
- Research and Reports about Collaborative Journalism
- A Collection of Guides, tip Sheets, and Best Practices for Collaboration
Members of the News/Media Alliance staff have contributed to this post.
