Stronger Connections

Partnership and collaboration may seem daunting, but there are many ways to approach them. It all starts with knowing what kind of partnership will best serve your organization and community.

Coalitions & Alliances

Joint Programs & Projects

Mergers & Acquisitions

University Collaborations

Grassroots & Community-Based

Looking for a potential local partner? Search our Community Insights page to find a range of maps, lists, and other insights into other local news providers in your community. You can also directly go to:

• Local newspapers
• Local digital sites 
• Local ethnic media 
• Local TV news stations
• Local INN and LION members 

Looking for something more or different? Contact us to see if we can help.

The work of America Amplified officially concluded in May 2025, but they have left behind a legacy of valuable community engagement resources for everyone in public media to benefit from, including:

Community Engagement Playbook

The America Amplified Community Engagement Journalism Playbook is a comprehensive guide designed to help public media organizations embed community engagement into their news practices. Drawing from the experiences of over 60 partner stations, the playbook offers role-specific strategies for station managers, newsroom leaders, reporters, producers, and talk show teams to foster deeper relationships with their communities. It emphasizes practices such as listening sessions, co-creating stories with community members, and diversifying sources to ensure coverage reflects the communities served. Additionally, the playbook provides practical tools including worksheets, templates, and case studies to support newsrooms in implementing engagement strategies that build trust and enhance the relevance of their reporting.

Download the playbook directly.

Webinars

America Amplified’s webinar series offers practical training on community engagement, election coverage, and audience trust-building. The Election Training Series includes six sessions covering topics like network mapping, engagement strategies, and collaboration with internal and community partners, each accompanied by downloadable resources such as slide decks and templates. Additional webinars address subjects like leveraging WhatsApp for audience connection, translating engagement metrics into funding opportunities, and building trust with conservative audiences. These sessions also provide actionable tools to help newsrooms deepen community relationships and enhance reporting impact.

Case Studies

The Amped Up case study series showcases innovative community engagement efforts by public media stations across the U.S. These stories highlight how stations are building trust and relevance through creative approaches—such as hosting events in laundromats, collaborating with local artists, and engaging rural voters through on-the-ground reporting. Each example offers practical, replicable ideas for strengthening local journalism through deeper community connection.

Q&A’s

Access reflections from public media journalists on transforming community engagement into impactful reporting. Through Q&As and case studies, these stories explore topics like covering gun violence in Ohio, building trust with Black communities, and innovative election coverage strategies. Each piece provides practical insights into the challenges and lessons learned when centering journalism on listening, collaboration, and community trust.

Tips & Strategies

The “Get Engaged” section offers practical strategies and insights for public media journalists aiming to deepen community connections. It features tips on organizing engagement initiatives, such as covering immigration under changing political climates, utilizing platforms like Reddit for audience interaction, and fostering collaborations between journalists and marketing teams. These resources highlight the importance of ethical reporting, building trust, and innovative approaches to community engagement in journalism.

You can find all of these resources and more on the archived America Amplified website.

Rocky Mountain Public Media’s Above the Noise may be Colorado-based, but it lays out a replicable path toward a stronger and more adaptable local news ecosystem that’s grounded in long-term, consistent listening that shapes meaningful content and delivery.

Trusting News helps journalists build trust with their communities by offering practical tools, tips, and training. It supports newsrooms in being more transparent, engaging, and responsive—making journalism stronger and more trustworthy.