Supporting newsrooms in advancing democracy

 
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Democracy SOS helps people working in journalism to adjust, improve and even re-imagine how they serve and empower a functioning democracy. We bring together initiatives, training and resources from partners, collaborators and across the field.

We're Hiring!

Democracy SOS 2024 - Liaison and Digital Producer

Deadline to apply: April 12, 2024 (midnight PST)

Our Democracy SOS initiative is looking for a full-time partner liaison and digital producer to support our 2024 initiatives on a six-month contract. We are in the process of securing a variety of non-partisan partners in the journalism and civic space to help journalists respond to critical election information needs. 

READ THE FULL DESCRIPTION HERE & ACCESS THE APPLICATION

Key Initiatives

Each of these initiatives are born out of ongoing collaborations and partnerships.
Learn more about those involved in each effort by checking out each website.

Advancing Democracy Fellowship

Pro-Democracy Toolkit

Election SOS

In collaboration with Hearken, Solutions Journalism Network and Trusting News, this fellowship is a nine-month program that supports reporters and editors in strengthening our democracy through innovative news coverage that highlights promising responses to our democracy’s challenges, and builds civic engagement, equity and healthy discourse. Formerly called the Democracy SOS Fellowship.

LEARN MORE & APPLY HERE

A collaboration between Hearken and The Center for Journalism & Democracy, The Democracy Toolkit equips reporters, newsroom leaders and journalism educators with vetted, relevant resources to help meet this moment of democratic backsliding in America.

GET DEMOCRACY RESOURCES

A sister site of Democracy SOS, Election SOS is a pop-up support initiative helmed by Hearken that focuses on helping journalists in responding to critical election-specific information needs during major U.S. elections.

GET ELECTION REPORTING RESOURCES

Democracy Day

America Amplified

The Citizens Agenda

Democracy Day is a nationwide, collaborative effort to draw attention to the crisis U.S. democracy is facing, provide the public with the context and information they need, and bring all types of media together to sound the alarm collectively. The collaborative was created by Hearken, The Center for Cooperative Media, INN and News Revenue Hub.

LEARN MORE & SIGN UP FOR 2024

America Amplified is a community engagement journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting involving public media stations across the United States. In 2022, 30 newsrooms collaborated on election reporting and engagement in partnership with Hearken.

LEARN MORE ABOUT 2022 OUTCOMES

The Citizens Agenda is a guide for generating more responsive, inclusive & useful news coverage for voters. It’s a form of engagement journalism that’s proving increasingly useful as the norms of traditional political reporting no longer work. Created in partnership with Hearken, The Membership Puzzle Project and Trusting News.

DOWNLOAD THE CITIZENS AGENDA GUIDE