New Newsroom Role: Community Coordinator

Her job is to help citizens connect to public life and to help the newspaper connect with the community.

It was a bold move, made by Editor Jeannine Guttman, a civic journalism pioneer, and newly hired President Meg Weston, who had been extensively involved in civic leadership before joining the news company.

“We wanted to create a viable connection among our readers, the public life that is our democracy, and the newspaper,” Guttman said. “We think the community coordinator is a vital link in that process.”

Now on board permanently is Jessica Tomlinson, who has served as a part-time community coordinator for “The Maine Citizens’ Campaign,” an election project funded in part by The Pew Center. Previously, Tomlinson had conducted research for The Project on Public Life and The Press with Jay Rosen and Lisa Austin.

During the course of her “Maine Citizens’ Campaign” work, Tomlinson said it became clear there was a need for continual community outreach that was not the job of reporters or editors.

“I found that there were many places in the newsroom that could benefit from a staff person dedicated to community building,” Tomlinson said. “The task is simultaneously everyone’s and no one’s. Connecting to our readers is viewed as important but gets lost amid the daily deadlines. With this as my primary task, I scoop up what falls between the cracks.”

Early on, Guttman described the position as a reporter whose beat is the entire community, yet doesn’t write stories. But during contract negotiations, John Porter, the news department’s chief steward for the Portland Newspaper Guild, argued that the position of public affairs coordinator more closely described the job. The public affairs coordinator, a marketing position, had not been filled for more than 10 years.

In the end, the Newspaper Guild created a new job classification specifically for a Community Coordinator, who reports to the top editor as a newsroom employee.

In other newspapers across the country, there are public editors (Charlotte Observer), civic editors (Asbury Park Press) and part-time consultant coordinators (Seattle Times and Wisconsin State Journal). But the Portland Press Herald/ Maine Sunday Telegram may be the first newspaper to create a full-time position of Community Coordinator.

Soon after, The Gazette in Colorado Springs created the position of ombudsman/writer to handle similar community outreach duties.

What kinds of things does Tomlinson do? Here are just several of her tasks for 1998:

• Organize town forums where reporters and editors will go into the community to hear feedback. All attendees will be given a booklet outlining how to interact with the newspaper, including everything from tips on writing news releases to phone numbers for every beat reporter.
• Using KOZ software, launch a teen online version of the weekly entertainment supplement. Teen-agers around the state will be able to give their input on food, music, fashion and politics.
• Write Civic Close-Ups twice a week. These informational boxes run with stories to increase citizens’ access to public policy. If the city council is discussing a report, Civic Close-Up lets readers know where they can get a copy of the report, when the council will hold a discussion, and phone numbers for all council members.
• Assist in monthly staff workshops on civic journalism. Past sessions have focused on what people want from the press and writings by leading civic journalism practitioners.
• Serve as an organizer for the “Maine Communities Face Alcohol” initiative. After The Press Herald published a 44-page series on alcohol abuse, citizens approached the newspaper with ideas on continuing conversations triggered by the articles. Now, a 12-member steering committee that includes Tomlinson is organizing a statewide dialogue on the use of alcohol in Maine. More than 1,500 Maine dwellers are participating in a month-long study program on the topic.
• Coordinate logistics for the 1998 gubernatorial project “Beyond the Ballot: Maine Issues in a New Millennium.” Five regional forums around the state will gather citizen input on key issues for the next governor. Seventy-five demographically selected citizens will gather for a day to deliberate issues and question candidates. Information will be gathered into book form and distributed to key leaders throughout the state. This book will also serve as a guide for the newspaper in holding the next governor accountable for citizen concerns.