Become a Civic Documenter and Help Strengthen Local News
What happens at your local school board, planning board, or select board meeting affects your community every day, however, many of these meetings receive little or no media coverage.
The New Hampshire Civic Documenters program is helping change that.
Applications are now open for the Fall 2026 Civic Documenters training program, a free six-week course that prepares New Hampshire residents to document local government meetings and support trustworthy local journalism.
Hosted by the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative and the New England First Amendment Coalition, the program gives community members the skills and confidence to attend public meetings, take accurate notes, and produce factual meeting summaries for participating news organizations across the state.
No Journalism Experience Required
You don't need a journalism background to become a Civic Documenter. We're looking for people who care about their communities, value transparency, and want to help ensure important local decisions are accessible to everyone.
During the training, participants will learn from veteran New Hampshire journalist and editor Paul Cuno-Booth, covering topics including:
Covering public meetings
Effective note-taking
Journalism ethics
Identifying newsworthy developments
Using AI responsibly to assist with drafting meeting summaries
Every meeting summary is reviewed and verified by the Civic Documenter before it is submitted to participating news organizations.
Make an Impact in Your Community
After completing the training, Civic Documenters may be assigned to cover up to two public meetings each month in their region. Participants receive a $50 stipend for each meeting they document.
By expanding coverage of local government meetings, Civic Documenters help strengthen accountability, support local newsrooms, and make it easier for residents to stay informed about decisions that affect their daily lives.
As Melanie Plenda, executive director of the Granite State News Collaborative, says, "This program gives residents a meaningful way to become more engaged in their communities while helping strengthen local journalism. Civic Documenters help make local government more transparent and ensure more people have access to reliable information about the decisions affecting their communities."
Program Details
Online Classes
Mondays, September 14–October 12
6-7:30 p.m.
Newsroom Introduction
Week of October 19
Learn more and apply by August 21. Selected participants will be notified by the end of August.
If you're interested in civic engagement, government transparency, or supporting local journalism, this is an opportunity to make a real difference while learning valuable new skills.
Questions? Please contact Melanie Plenda at melanie.plenda@collaborativenh.org.