Wanted: Reporters. Editors. Community builders.
The Somerville Media Center and Cambridge Somerville Independent are forming a partnership to build a multimedia newsroom to train community members on how to cover the city, provide equipment and facilities and send content out on Somerville Media Center’s cable television channels, through social platforms and into the pages of The Independent.
This project is seeking volunteers to play a variety of roles. Volunteers get no-cost memberships at the Media Center; free and/or low-cost enrollment in tech training workshops; free use of equipment and facilities; advice and editing from the experts; and a home for their work.
Who is this for? Anyone who wants to see their city’s arts, culture, businesses and politics covered, and anyone who wants to be a part of seeing that happen. This is for people who want to be on-air or behind the scenes; and for people looking for fun, community, education or professional advancement.
Qualifications
This volunteer role highly values individuals who:
Have interest in issues and events taking place in our communities and the motivation to be present to chronicle how events unfold.
Will fulfill obligations once accepted and communicate responsibly along the way to completion, so teammates and the community can rely on their word and effort.
Responsibilities
Volunteers will:
Attend an orientation session to identify a role in the newsroom
Make a commitment by assignment or for time per week/month
Attend weekly sessions/meetings as needed
Take and fulfill assignments that will appear on video, audio or text-focused platforms or a mix of those, learning as needed how to adapt one for another
Supervision
Volunteers will be supervised by a staffer from The Cambridge Somerville Independent or a designated newsroom representative from among volunteers through weekly meetings and interim conversations about assignments though email, text or phone as needed. Direction on certain equipment and video- and audio-related practices and skills may come from Somerville Media Center staff and representatives.
Benefits
In exchange for their volunteer hours and commitment to the project, volunteers will get:
Professional development in the journalism field
Production training and hands-on equipment time
Résumé credentials and production credits
Stronger connections within the community
Academic or employment letters of reference or phone referrals as needed, based on their work
Reach out to editor@csindie.com to talk with a newsroom representative and register for an orientation session.