Advancing Democracy Fellowship applications due Feb. 14

Are you a journalist who wants to shift from conflict-focused coverage to stories that reflect the needs of people in your community and offer solutions to problems? You're invited to apply for the Advancing Democracy Fellowship through Feb. 14.

This joint initiative from Hearken, the Solutions Journalism Network and Trusting News is designed to "equip newsroom-based journalists to transform their coverage of democracy through solutions-focused reporting that builds trust and avoids polarization," SJN says.

This is the second year of the fellowship. SJN and Hearken say, "We are inviting 20 U.S.-based newsroom teams of at least one reporter and one editor to join this adventure. This fellowship is for U.S.-based newsrooms only and preference will be given to newsrooms in the Great Lakes region (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin), as well as those in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas. We anticipate newsrooms from outside of these states will also be chosen. Newsrooms serving and led by historically excluded communities are strongly encouraged to apply."

SJN says, "The program includes a modest stipend, along with training and resources that support innovative news coverage focused on promising responses to our democracy’s challenges in ways that build civic engagement, equity and healthy discourse."

You can apply here. To ask questions, contact Jaisal Noor at jaisal@solutionsjournalism.org.

SJN says it is "leading a global shift in journalism, focused on what the news misses most often: how people are trying to solve problems and what we can learn from their successes or failures. Since its founding in 2013, more than 600 news organizations and over 27,000 journalists worldwide have engaged with SJN’s in-person workshops, online resources, collaboratives, fellowships and cohorts.

"Hearken helps organizations embed stakeholder listening into their growth and operations to build more resilient companies and communities. Hearken has shown that listening leads to stronger relationships, deeper engagement and better decisions, and enables individuals to make an outsize positive impact in the world. In 2020, Hearken worked in collaboration with more than two dozen civic organizations (including SJN) to stand up and deliver Election SOS, which supported journalists in responding to critical election information needs.

"Trusting News learns how people decide what news to trust and turns that knowledge into actionable strategies for journalists. Its staff trains and empowers journalists to take responsibility for demonstrating credibility and actively earning trust through transparency and engagement. In a continual cycle of research, learning and sharing with the industry, Trusting News explores how to incorporate trust-building into journalism’s standards and practices."