The American Press Institute launched a new portfolio of training opportunities for local news organizations, news leaders and journalists nationwide. We’ve listened to thousands of journalists, both news leaders and frontline workers, who have told us where they would like to see more support. We’re here to help you move through the stages of what it means to be a healthy news organization and a healthy news contributor — whether you’re dealing with revenue or cultural challenges or effectively managing change.
“We deliver meaningful training and coaching for our news partners,” said Michael D. Bolden, API’s CEO and executive director. “We’re constantly interrogating and refining our offerings to ensure that we are helping them respond to the essential needs of their staffs and communities, but also building in resilient practices for the long-term well-being of their organizations.”
API offers support in three ways:
- Community training is at the core of who we are. It is designed and delivered by API and funded by API or through philanthropic support, making it available at minimal cost to any journalist or organization interested.
- Private training is our opportunity to go deeper with organizations aware of their ability to grow and who want to attract, retain and promote talent by investing in their people, culture and operations.
- Commissioned training is our premium, client-informed support, and it is fully scoped and tailored to the news organization in content, cadence and communication. API takes on a limited number of commissioned training clients each year.
We offer formal in-person or virtual training, but our experts are also available to speak to employee resource groups and other affinity groups through AMAs, interviews, panels and conference events. Our training falls into seven categories most relevant to today’s news organizations:
- Leadership and development
- Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
- Data and analytics
- Listening, engagement and trust
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Product and technology
- Revenue and sustainability
We also provide other types of support, such as research project management or facilitation, career coaching or strategic consulting. View our complete catalog of training here.
“API cares so deeply for the present health and future sustainability of local and community news organizations,” said Samantha Ragland, vice president of journalism programs. “We place a particular amount of focus and energy on the journalists who do the work. Our training and support aim to help usher in a flourishing and inclusive news culture, one organization and one journalist at a time.”
Testimonials
API has already started working with news organizations to help them reach their goals — in this case, returning to the office. Recently, a nonprofit news organization Science News needed help figuring out how its newsroom of more than 30 journalists could best support each other while working in a hybrid environment.
“We couldn’t find a workshop facilitator who could meet our needs until we connected with Sam Ragland and Elite Truong at API,” said Nancy Shute, editor-in-chief of Science News. “Elite collaborated with us to develop the session and led it herself. Her compassionate, pragmatic approach was just what we needed, and we made significant progress on our goals without it feeling like work. Big thanks to Elite, Sam and API for making this much-needed training possible.”
API also helped two newsrooms assess the work they do each day. Emily Ristow, director of local news transformation, hosted a Stop Doing List workshop for the editors and reporters at two newsrooms, Berkeleyside and Oaklandside.
“The training was very helpful in that it prompted our teams to think about tasks in their daily work that might be redundant, or would benefit from a rethink,” said Tracey Taylor, chief content officer of Cityside. “I believe we are now viewing new projects, tasks and meetings through a different lens, one that takes into account the ‘why’ and also their value.”
API’s Vice President of Journalism Programs, Samantha Ragland recently led an imposter syndrome workshop for the cohort of 10 emerging media leaders from the inaugural Journalists of Color Fellowship.
“Amazing, insightful, engaging,” said Ashley Hopkinson, project manager for Journalists of Color Fellowship at Solutions Journalism Network. “Samantha Ragland led this expertly, interjecting a deep knowledge of newsroom dynamics, evidenced-based research and personal reflection. What I appreciated the most was the interactive design of the training and the real-time exercises on reframing thoughts. Samantha created an atmosphere of ease and set the tone for our BIPOC fellows to feel seen and heard as they build deeper self confidence.”
Please fill out this form if you are interested in our training opportunities and want to learn more about pricing. If you have questions, contact Samantha Ragland, our vice president of journalism programs, at sam.ragland@pressinstitute.org.
About the American Press Institute
The American Press Institute helps develop, support and sustain healthy local news organizations with a focus on civic discourse and democracy; culture and inclusion; community engagement and trust; and revenue and resilience. We believe that for democracies to thrive, people need accurate news and information about their communities, the problems of civil society and the debates over how to solve them. That requires a financially sustainable free press that reflects the diversity of American society and understands the needs of its communities. API is a national 501(c)3 nonprofit educational organization affiliated with the News Media Alliance.
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