Applications open for Civic Documenters training program

LACONIA — The Granite State News Collaborative and The Laconia Daily Sun are accepting applications for the Fall 2026 Civic Documenters training program, preparing community members to cover local government meetings and expand public access to reliable local news.

The free, six-week online training begins Monday, Sept. 14, with classes held Monday evenings, 6-7:30 p.m. The program is hosted by the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications. The final online session will take place Oct. 12, followed by an in-person introduction to participants' assigned newsrooms the week of Oct. 19.

Applications are due Friday, Aug. 28, and selected participants will be notified by Sept. 7.

The Civic Documenters program is a partnership between GSNC, the Loeb school, and the New England First Amendment Coalition.

Civic documenters are community members who attend public meetings, take accurate notes, and produce concise, factual meeting summaries for local news organizations. Participants are assigned to cover towns, boards, or committees in their region, helping newsrooms expand coverage that might otherwise not exist.

The training, led by Paul Cuno-Booth, covers meeting coverage, note-taking, journalism ethics, identifying newsworthy developments, and using AI responsibly. All work is reviewed and verified before it is submitted to a newsroom.

Following training, documenters may be assigned to cover up to two meetings each month. Participants receive a $50 stipend for each meeting they cover.

No previous journalism experience is required. Applicants should have an interest in their community, be dependable, and be comfortable attending public meetings either in person or online.

Apply at bit.ly/CivDocFall26.

Contact Melanie Plenda, executive director of GSNC, with questions at melanie.plenda@collaborativenh.org.