Our Process
At our heart is a community-centered journalism model.
Community Selection
We choose neighborhoods using a rubric that prioritizes communities of color, low-income areas, those lacking responsive news coverage, and neighborhoods with lower civic participation. Our Community Selection Committee gathers essential data on metro Atlanta neighborhoods and scores each one according to these criteria to guide our focus.
“Place a big ol' quote right here to talk about how important the community selection process is.”
Listening
We believe the most important stories are those that matter most to the community itself. From the very beginning of each issue, our team—guided by our Engagement Coordinator—connects with residents to uncover the stories that resonate deeply with them. We tailor our engagement strategy to each community, recognizing its unique strengths and challenges, and we’re committed to breaking down barriers to ensure everyone can participate and access our content.
Over about six weeks, we engage with the community through various methods, including conversations in public spaces, networking, and leveraging existing community information systems like newsletters and flyers. We also identify and reach out to local leaders, organizations, nonprofits, and businesses to ensure a wide range of voices are heard.
To further involve the community in shaping our coverage, we form a Community Editorial Board. This board is made up of particularly engaged residents who are compensated for their time and contributions. The board collaborates with our team to determine the key topics and questions for each issue, ensuring that our stories are not only relevant but also reflective of the community’s diversity in terms of age, gender, race, and other important factors.
By centering the voices and experiences of the community at every step, we ensure that our journalism is truly by and for the people we serve.
Training and Reporting
After story memos are developed with the Community Editorial Board, our editor selects journalists—writers and photographers—who are well-suited to the topics. The editor collaborates closely with these journalists, offering guidance on reporting, writing, and editing. Each story is reviewed by the editor and a Canopy Atlanta staff member, followed by thorough fact-checking before publication.
In each issue, at least four community residents gain hands-on journalism experience through our Community Journalism Fellowships. Fellows receive a stipend and participate in an eight-week course where they learn reporting fundamentals. To become a Fellow, applicants are evaluated on their relevant experience, connection to the community, prior access to journalism training, and interest in community journalism. The evaluation is conducted by the Fellowship Director and a committee of Canopy Atlanta staff, board members, and program alumni.
Fellows contribute to the issue by writing, creating photos or videos, conducting research, or developing supplementary materials like timelines, maps, or charts to enrich the stories.
Sharing
We publish journalism that portrays residents with context, nuance, and intimacy. During our Share phase, we host live events to deepen the conversation around a story and exchange community perspectives on key issues. We also collaborate with grassroots information sources, like hyperlocal newsletters and neighborhood groups, to ensure our stories reach residents.
Our events are guided by these principles:
- They enhance neighborhood values and assets.
- They are organized to resonate with a broad audience.
- They are rooted in our community listening efforts.