Historically, the field of journalism has been more competitive than collaborative. But at Resolve, we believe that the act of newsmaking shouldn’t happen in a bubble.

Within our organization, we collaborate daily: we tap into the diverse expertise of our colleagues to foster a culture of shared knowledge. This collaboration helps us address blind spots that may arise from individual biases or limited perspectives.

We also collaborate with other news organizations—and with our audiences—to produce the most accessible and useful information possible, and it makes our stories more impactful, more accurate and more community-centered.

Keep reading to learn more about what collaboration looks like in journalism and how we do it at Resolve.

What is Collaborative Journalism?

Collaborative journalism happens when news organizations work together to produce reporting, collect and share data, and build tools and resources.

When newsrooms collaborate, they can improve and supplement each organization’s individual reporting and maximize the impact of the stories they produce. Coming together to pursue a common goal of better reporting gives newsrooms the space to learn from each other and highlight their individual strengths.

Collaboration is at the core of Resolve’s ethos. Resolve grew out of The Reentry Project, a pioneering collaborative reporting project that began in 2016.

What is the Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative?

Our flagship project in collaborative journalism is the Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative, our collective of 29 local newsroom partners that cover news and share information focusing on issues that affect the daily lives of Philadelphia residents.

The Collaborative focuses on uncovering the inner workings of systems and structures that affect the daily lives of Philadelphia residents. This reporting highlights new and creative methods that strive to improve these systems, making them better suited to meet the needs of residents.

Since the Collaborative’s relaunch last year, we’ve covered everything from how tax break programs aren’t delivering for Philly students as promised to how hard it is for formerly incarcerated people to find work. Our newsroom partners covered why the city’s recycling rate is so low to what it would take to make a more loving Philly. These stories encompass a wide variety of topics, scopes, and media formats—and are all solutions-based and community-centered.

The newsrooms involved in the Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative are committed to understanding the information needs of the communities we serve. We believe that collaborative solutions journalism empowers readers around topics that are easy to feel individually powerless about, equipping them to drive change in their communities.

One of the strengths of the Collaborative is its diversity: our partners range from the city’s largest outlets to unique news outlets with a very specific focus. Through information sharing and strong partnerships among this wide variety of local newsrooms, our reporting grows stronger and provides comprehensive coverage of the issues that matter to Philadelphia communities.

How else does Resolve engage in Collaborative Journalism?

Collaborative journalism is also at the core of our other projects that center communities, like Our Kids and Community Narratives.

Our Kids is a community journalism project dedicated to exploring the foster care system. Led by investigative reporter and editor Steve Volk and with the help of data reporting by Dir. of Data and Impact Julie Christie, this project prioritizes community involvement and is conducted with an unprecedented level of thoroughness not previously seen in media coverage of this topic. In 2022, Our Kids reporting spurred action by City Council to stop the city from taking millions of dollars in funds owed to children in foster care.

Community Narratives is designed to amplify individual marginalized voices, while also empowering under or unrepresented community members to contribute to—and ultimately transform—the prevailing narratives presented in the media. These occur through a connection with a community member who has a story to tell, who we then guide through the process of composing a first-person narrative that is ultimately pitched to one of Resolve’s 29 newsroom partners.

If you are interested in working with us to publish your own op-ed, or if you want to learn more about Community Narrative work in general, we want to hear from you! Send an email to narratives@resolvephilly.org.

Why is collaboration important to the future of journalism?

When journalists can better serve their communities and also find their work more fulfilling, the longevity of journalists and the field as a whole can improve. Collaboration—newsrooms leaning on and learning from each other—is key to the sustainability of journalism as an industry.

“Just two newsrooms working together can increase that impact significantly,” says Eugene Sonn, Senior Director of Collaborations at Resolve and leader of the Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative.

Collaborative journalism also encourages experimentation with new media and improves accessibility, Sonn says. PJC collaborations have led to cross-platform content, bilingualism, and even in-person spaces to continue dialogue. This way, each story can help newsrooms learn the process of making new media and appeal to different audiences.

“The way people get their news is so unique to them,” says Sonn. “Lots of people in Philly might never see or hear important news just because it’s not one of their main news outlets.”

But through collaborations like those in the Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative, newsrooms can reach different communities with the same work.