Strengthening Local News. Expanding Civic Participation.
The Civic Documenters program trains community members to observe, document, and explain what happens in local public meetings across New Hampshire.
Participants learn how local government works, why open meetings matter, how to take accurate notes, and how to identify information that is useful and newsworthy for their communities.
By the end of the course, Civic Documenters are prepared to attend public meetings and contribute clear, accurate summaries that help expand access to trustworthy civic information statewide.
No prior journalism experience is required.
What Civic Documenters Do
Civic Documenters attend municipal, school board, and other public meetings and produce detailed, factual notes and summaries.
Those summaries may:
Be shared with local news partners
Inform follow-up reporting
Be distributed through collaborative channels
Help expand civic awareness in communities that otherwise receive limited coverage
The goal is simple: more meetings covered, more public decisions documented, more communities informed.
As the program grows, Civic Documenters may serve individual towns or regions and contribute to a broader statewide network of local news and civic information partners.
Who It’s For
Civic Documenters is designed for:
Community members who want to better understand how local government works
Residents who care about transparency and accountability
Students interested in civic life and journalism
Local content creators who are already sharing information about their communities and want to strengthen their reporting skills
The program provides tools, legal context, and ethical guidelines to ensure coverage is accurate, responsible, and rooted in New Hampshire’s Right-to-Know and open meeting laws.
How the Training Works
Civic Documenters complete a five-session online course designed to demystify local government and build practical documentation skills.
The course covers:
Why local news and public meetings matter
How municipal and school boards function
New Hampshire’s Right-to-Know (RSA 91-A) and Open Meeting laws
How to find and interpret agendas, minutes, and meeting packets
How to request public records
How to take fast, accurate notes during meetings
What information is newsworthy
How to use AI tools responsibly — and how to fact-check them
What editors and news partners look for in meeting coverage
Participants complete weekly assignments that include reviewing meeting agendas and minutes, watching public meetings, drafting Right-to-Know requests, and producing meeting summaries.
Documenters receive stipends for meetings they cover and ongoing guidance as they begin contributing coverage.
A Statewide Model
Civic Documenters was created by the Granite State News Collaborative in partnership with the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications and the New England First Amendment Coalition.
Inspired by the City Bureau Documenters program in Chicago and the University of Vermont’s Community News Service, Civic Documenters adapts those models to serve communities across New Hampshire.
As the program evolves, Civic Documenters will continue expanding to serve additional towns and regions — strengthening civic life by ensuring more local decisions are documented and shared.
No Agendas Please
Civic Documenters is a nonpartisan program committed to factual, transparent documentation of local public meetings. Participants are trained to observe, record, and summarize what happens — without editorializing or advancing political agendas.
We believe access to accurate civic information strengthens public trust and serves the entire community.
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Apply for a Future Cohort
Interested in becoming a Civic Documenter?
We are currently accepting interest forms for future cohortsYou do not need prior journalism experience. Curiosity, reliability, and a commitment to civic engagement are what matter most.
As a Civic Documenter, you will:
Complete hands-on training in local government and meeting documentation
Learn how to access and interpret public records
Participants Assigned to outlets receive stipends for meeting coverage
Contribute to strengthening civic information in your community
Strong communities depend on trustworthy information. Help contribute to yours.
Questions?
Contact:
Melanie Plenda
Executive Director, Granite State News Collaborative
melanie.plenda@collaborativenh.org