A Community of Practice
Collaborative Work Creating Resilient and Sustainable Newsrooms
There’s a master woodworker in Harpswell, Maine who teaches wood carving to beginners and opens her shop to people who feel a spark from the work. Those who have experience share it and those who don’t, learn and the transfer of knowledge is seamless and joyful. The community created in this room allows everyone to grow and it gives even the least experienced openings to share and shine.
We know peer learning is a powerful tool, and our partner newsrooms have told us constant coaching can be difficult to grasp and integrate. They’ve shared the benefit from being with others who understand their culture, concerns, and mission. It can be lonely fighting for survival and support from those who really "get it" is vital.
Honoring the spirit of community and the resilience and drive of our newsroom partners and building upon our work to-date, Journalism New England is creating a community of practice — The WorkBench — and we are convening newsroom leaders to share goals and challenges and open learning opportunities based in real world projects. This is a forum for people to shine and share their wins and wisdom while learning from other experts.