This new Toolkit covers tactical ways for funders to find credible creator journalists in their region
New Toolkit from Lenfest Institute, Trusting News and Project C helps funders support creator-model journalism
The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, Trusting News and Project C and are excited to launch a toolkit aimed at helping funders identify and support credible creator journalists in their local ecosystems.
The Creator Journalism Trust and Credibility Toolkit covers tactical ways to find and connect with creators, and it also provides detailed guidance on how to assess whether creator journalists and online personalities are ethically aligned for funding opportunities.
While this toolkit was created specifically for funders interested in better supporting local information ecosystems, it can also be helpful for journalists and newsrooms looking to collaborate or work alongside creator journalists in their area.
Here’s a deeper look into the toolkit, which you can find in full here.
- A guide to finding local journalism creators, which includes prompts, tools and a checklist for mapping creator journalists in your region
- A visual guide and checklist for assessing whether a creator journalist is ethically aligned for funding and collaboration
- A guide to outreach and connecting with local creator-model journalists
- A checklist of considerations when drafting agreements with creator-model journalists
Thanks to The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, which supported this work through funding from the The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Our Trusting News team is always glad for the chance to join forces and collaborate with other journalism support organizations.
If you’re interested in diving deeper into this work or could use help with an ecosystem scan and guidance on finding credible creators, reach out to Trusting News and Project C.
Why should funders support creator-model journalism?
News ecosystems are healthiest when they include not just traditional newsrooms but also the independent and creator journalists audiences are increasingly turning to for trusted news and information.
While traditional outlets remain vital, they don’t tell the whole story, Liz Kelly Nelson of Project C writes. Creator-model journalists are filling information gaps in these communities, often serving audiences that legacy newsrooms overlook or have lost.
Our work in this area focuses on making sure the public can tell what information is credible and worthy of their trust. Supporting creator-model journalists means ensuring communities can assess the credibility of information on the platforms where they are spending their time. Read more about why funders should invest in creator journalists.
More about Trusting News and Project C’s work with creator journalists
The Trusting News team has been repairing trust in journalism since 2016. We believe that wherever people turn for news — whether on traditional or emerging platforms — they should find credible, accessible information. Our work around creator-model journalism has included helping traditional journalists learn from the success of creators while also equipping them to have empathy for what it’s like consuming the news these days. We are also working to support and train creator journalists to signal their credibility to the public. We also collaborated with the American Press Institute on creating an ethical roadmap to help newsrooms find creators who are ethically aligned.
Liz Kelly Nelson at Project C helps media companies, newsrooms and journalists consider the evolution of our field and how we can ensure equitable access to news and information for all. Lately, she’s been developing support systems for independent mission-driven journalism creators and helping news providers understand and better serve the brains that will chart our collective future: Gens Z and Alpha.
At Trusting News, we learn how people decide what news to trust and turn that knowledge into actionable strategies for journalists. We train and empower journalists to take responsibility for demonstrating credibility and actively earning trust through transparency and engagement. Learn more about our work, vision and team. Subscribe to our Trust Tips newsletter. Follow us on Twitter, BlueSky and LinkedIn.
Project manager Mollie Muchna (she/her) has spent the last 10 years working in audience and engagement journalism in local newsrooms across the Southwest. She lives in Tucson, Arizona, where she is also an adjunct professor at the University of Arizona’s School of Journalism. She can be reached at mollie@trustingnews.org and on Twitter @molliemuchna.
