Welcome to the Need to Know: Training Edition! Your monthly curated list of professional development resources for journalists and news leaders. Do you have ideas for opportunities to include? Send it our way using this submission form.

Editor’s note: Need to Know is taking an August break. This is a special monthly training edition of the newsletter. The regular edition will return on Sept. 3. 

ICYMI: Resources from API and partners

>> Support coverage with philanthropy : Jan Ross Sakian shared tips on funding reporting beats from a live revenue Q&A session with P.J. Browning, president and publisher of The Post and Courier and the CEO of Evening Post Publishing Newspaper Group, Inc.

>> Cross-generational convening: Five API partners shared their thoughts on how newsrooms can bridge generational divides by inviting younger people as partners, leveraging nostalgia and intergenerational storytelling and adapting community engagement ideas from non-journalism industries.

>> Using history to shape identity: In this special series, written by four attendees of the API Local News Summit on Local Identity, History and Sustainability, we explore how local newsrooms can tap into community history to build stronger identity, trust and revenue.

>> Growing engagement across generations: API’s Liz Worthington shared insights from Jake Wasserman, engagement editor of the Forward, who spoke at a live Q&A session about creating audience personas to help with engagement and distribution strategies.

Upcoming training opportunities

>> AI accountability fellowships: The Pulitzer Center is accepting applications through Aug. 11 for its 2025-26 cohort on AI accountability. This program will support eight to10 journalists from around the world who are reporting in-depth on the impacts of AI and explore how they are funded and created by corporations, governments and other powerful actors.

>> Society of Professional Journalists grants: The SPJ Foundation is accepting proposals for its 2025 grant cycle until  Aug. 15. Grants this cycle will favor initiatives that advocate for journalists and journalism, defend press freedom and promote media literacy. Helpful information and tips can be found in this training video.

>> Journalist security training: A one-day safety training in Albuquerque, NM on Aug. 15th is open to U.S.-based freelance and local journalists, with priority given to those reporting on migration and border issues. The program covers digital, physical, psychosocial and legal safety, and is led by experts from Freedom of the Press Foundation, The Centre for Investigative Journalism and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

>> Climate Ready Newsrooms fellowship: The Metcalf Institute at the University of Rhode Island is accepting applications from local newsrooms in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Up to 10 newsrooms will receive six virtual training sessions, three months of coaching from URI experts, and a $1,000 stipend to support a climate coverage fellow. Apply by Aug. 15.

>> Community building for journalists: In this third installment of Notes Exchange, Mili Semlani hosts a conversational session on Aug. 19 for journalists, community organizers and newsroom leaders focused on balancing resources with community building, learning from other industries and trying small community-driven revenue experiments in newsrooms.

>> Your Next Milestone meetup: Journalists Pay Themselves is hosting a community meetup in collaboration with Project C for indie journalists and micro newsrooms on Aug. 19. Participants will share their next revenue goal and explore strategies to get there. Ideal for solo content creators and small collectives, the session offers peer insights, idea vetting and goal-setting support.

>> Tracking impacts of service journalism: Lenfest Institute’s Communities of Practice is hosting a session on Aug. 21 focused on applying a service‑oriented framework to journalism impact tracking. Led by Madison Karas and Patrick Boehler, this working session will help newsrooms move beyond abstract notions of impact so reporting can help people navigate their lives. Register by Aug. 11 to receive a pre‑session guide.

>> Immigration reporting skills: The New England First Amendment Coalition is hosting Immigration Reporting 101 with Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio of the Boston Globe, Aug. 19 as part of its 30 Minute Skills training series.

>> Reporting the mineral rush of the green transition: The Pulitzer Center is offering a free online training on Aug. 19 to help journalists report on the global demand for critical minerals. Learn to investigate the environmental and social impacts of mining and trace supply chains, and uncover overlooked angles in the green energy transition.

>> Journalism collaboratives & influencers: Adriana Lacy and API’s Emily Ristow host a free virtual workshop organized by The Center for Cooperative Media on Aug. 27 about how journalism collaboratives can partner with influencers to build trust and expand reach. Learn how to identify credible partners and design effective, ethical collaborations to engage new audiences.

>> Covering mental health equity: This free, one-hour webinar on Sept. 9 by The Mental Health Reporting Project will cover how to report on mental health through an equity lens. Attendees will learn to identify systemic disparities, understand the effects of racial trauma, correct misinformation and find new story angles that advance health equity in coverage.

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