The Civic Documenters program trains community members to cover municipal and school board meetings, creating detailed notes that are shared with local news outlets. Editors can then use those notes to follow up or turn them into published stories, helping expand coverage while boosting civic engagement. In partnership with the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications and the New England First Amendment Coalition, GSNC created CivDoc to empower residents with the skills to access and document government meetings. Inspired by the City Bureau’s Documenters program in Chicago and the University of Vermont’s Community News Service, participants complete a five-week online course that demystifies local government, explains open meetings and public records laws, and teaches effective documentation. Documenters receive stipends for each meeting covered and collaborate with professional editors. Our first cohort worked with The Keene Sentinel and Monadnock Ledger-Transcript, and subsequent cohorts have partnered with the Laconia Daily Sun. Looking ahead, our next community cohort will launch in Spring 2026, along with a new specialized high school cohort designed to give students hands-on reporting experience while strengthening civic life across New Hampshire.
For more information please contact GSNC Executive Director Melanie Plenda melanie.plenda@collaborativenh.org