We are thrilled to welcome 21 newsrooms to the 2023 Advancing Democracy Fellowship, the second year of an initiative that’s jointly run by  the Solutions Journalism Network, Hearken and Trusting News. The nine-month fellowship will equip newsroom-based journalists to transform their coverage of elections and democracy through solutions-focused reporting and engagement methods that build trust and avoid polarization.

The program includes training, coaching, peer support and a stipend that all support innovative news coverage. The goal is for newsrooms to adopt practices that address our democracy’s challenges by helping news organizations build civic engagement, equity and healthy discourse.

Newsrooms will participate in a curriculum that includes training in the Citizens Agenda approach, solutions journalism, Asset-Framing®, ethics, and building trust with audiences.

The 2023 Advancing Democracy Fellowship newsrooms (in alphabetical order): 

1. Bay City News Foundation – California
2. Better Government Association– Illinois
3. Cedar Rapids Gazette – Iowa
4. Chattanooga Times Free Press – Tennessee
5. Chicago Public Media – Illinois
6. Conecta Arizona – Arizona
7. Dallas Free Press – Texas
8. Detroit Free Press – Michigan
9. El Comercio de Colorado – Colorado
10. Evanston RoundTable – Illinois
11. Fort Worth Report – Texas
12. KUNR Public Radio – Nevada
13. La Raza Chicago – Illinois
14. Latino News Network – Connecticut
15. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Wisconsin
16. Outlier Media – Michigan
17. Planet Detroit – Michigan
18. The Capital Times – Wisconsin
19. The Current – Louisiana
20. USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau – Ohio
21. WUWM Radio – Wisconsin

This fellowship is a joint initiative from Hearken, Solutions Journalism Network and Trusting News.

Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) 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  is a social impact consultancy that uses the power of community engagement to impact and influence systems for the public good. Hearken is an expert in deep listening, and their pioneering public-powered model and technology solutions have resulted in newsrooms around the world building listening and engagement into their strategies, workflows and bottom lines. 

Trusting News examines 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.

This fellowship is made possible with financial support from the Henry Luce Foundation, Joyce Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and Solutions Journalism Network.

For questions about the program and curricula, contact Jaisal Noor (jaisal[@]solutionsjournalism[.]org).

For questions about supporting the program, contact Elizabeth Share (elizabethshare[@]solutionsjournalism[.]org).