What we’re looking forward to at the 2025 Collaborative Journalism Summit
Speaker and session highlights with just a few weeks until CJS2025 kicks off
The 2025 Collaborative Journalism Summit heads to Denver in less than a month, bringing together some of journalism’s most dedicated and innovative minds to explore how partnership can amplify community impact in news. Colorado is the perfect backdrop for the ninth annual Summit, with more than 200 collaborative news outlets and initiatives operating across the state.
Now that the Summit schedule is locked in, here’s a final peek at some of the themes, topics, and highlights emerging from this year’s lineup.
🔑 Keynotes that showcase collaborative journalism’s transformative potential
The Summit’s keynote lineup demonstrates just how far collaborative journalism has evolved beyond simple content sharing over the last several years. MLK50’s Wendi Thomas and Ayanna Watkins will share how their Memphis-focused nonprofit newsroom has achieved demonstrable (and remarkable) community impact through partnership, including erasing nearly $12 million in medical debt for impoverished patients and increased wages for hospital workers.
Meanwhile, our second keynote will be moderated by Dana Amihere of AfroLA, and will feature Micah Spain of Appalachia Relief and Jessica Maness from Resilience Relief and Recovery Reach. Micah and Jessica will discuss what happens when disaster strikes and traditional systems fail, and how collaboration becomes more than just joint-reporting — it becomes a community lifeline. Their work in Asheville is a clear example of how journalism can serve as both a connector and an information hub during times of crisis and confusion.
Several clear trends have emerged from this year’s program, reflecting the field’s rapid evolution:
1. Impact measurement is evolving beyond page views
While tracking impact has always been journalism’s white whale, several sessions showcase new approaches to documenting community-level change. The Statewide News Collective will share its method for measuring “hard-to-track community impact” based on research with New Hampshire Public Radio, Bridge Michigan, and Montana Free Press. This represents a significant shift from simply counting stories published to understanding journalism’s tangible effects on communities.
2. Cross-field collaboration is expanding journalism’s boundaries
Gone are the days when “collaboration” just meant newsrooms working together. The Summit showcases partnerships with academics (The Conversation), arts organizations (Dallas Free Press and Verdigris Ensemble), science experts (SciLine), and community organizations. These cross-sector alliances help journalism reach new audiences while bringing specialized expertise to complex topics.
As one standout example, Keri Mitchell from Dallas Free Press and Sam Brukhman from Verdigris Ensemble will explain how choral music can become journalism, reaching entirely new audiences through innovative storytelling formats.
3. Technology is enhancing our collaborative potential
Several sessions highlight how technology enables more sophisticated collaborations. Chicago media outlets have used AI and WhatsApp to reach migrant audiences with bilingual information, while The Marshall Project is creating open-access tools specifically designed for local newsrooms. Johnny Bassett from Plucky Works will demonstrate a “scalable solution for story sharing” that’s already helping dozens of newsrooms distribute content efficiently.
4. Funding models are adapting through partnerships
Press Forward will take center stage in a plenary session showcasing how this national coalition of funders is investing more than $500 million to strengthen local newsrooms through coordinated grantmaking. Emily Holden from the Climate News Task Force will explain how their 11-newsroom collaboration is attracting philanthropic support that individual outlets couldn’t secure alone.
5. Community engagement is deepening through collaboration
Multiple sessions emphasize that meaningful journalism isn’t just about informing communities — it’s about involving them. Simon Galperin from The Jersey Bee and Ashley Harper from Charlottesville Tomorrow will discuss how they partner directly with the communities they serve, while Mollie Muchna from Trusting News will lead a workshop on harnessing “the power of collaborative listening.”
6. Press freedom can be strengthened through collective action
A plenary session and dedicated safety clinics acknowledge the growing threats to journalism and showcase how collaborative approaches can better protect press freedom. The safety clinics will cover digital security, physical safety, and legal challenges, emphasizing that protecting journalism requires multifaceted coordination.
7. Denver’s collaborative ecosystem is the star of the show
Colorado’s thriving collaborative journalism landscape provides a compelling backdrop for the Summit. The opening keynote will spotlight what Colorado news leaders have learned from years of collaboration, featuring Laura Frank from the Colorado News Collaborative (COLab), Tim Regan-Porter from the Colorado Press Association, and Kimberly Spencer from the Colorado Media Project.
Attendees will also hear how eight news organizations are collaborating to fill a Spanish-language news desert in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley, demonstrating how partnerships can address critical information gaps. Corey Hutchins from Colorado College and Kareem El Damanhoury from the University of Denver will share how the Colorado News Mapping Project became a catalyst for further collaborations across the state.
Beyond inspiration, the Summit promises practical takeaways. The newly formed Collaborative Journalism Resource Hub will be introduced by Amy Maestas and Delaney Butler, offering ongoing support for collaborative efforts. ProJourn will conduct legal checkups to help news collaboratives navigate potential risks, and multiple sessions will demonstrate tools for content sharing, impact tracking, and audience engagement.
As the field of collaborative journalism matures, this year’s Summit reflects a shift from “why collaborate?” to “how to collaborate most effectively?” The diverse speaker lineup, from established leaders like Wendi Thomas to emerging innovators like Bianca Godina (Sol del Valle/Sopris Sun), showcases the field’s growing sophistication.
🔮 The future of journalism is collaborative — and impactful
What’s clear from the program is that collaborative journalism has become much more than a survival strategy — it’s now a pathway to creating more impactful, inclusive, and sustainable journalism. For anyone invested in the future of news, the conversations happening in Denver this May will help chart the course forward.
The 2025 Collaborative Journalism Summit promises to be more than just a conference — it’s a gathering of journalism’s most forward-thinking practitioners who understand that the field’s greatest challenges can only be solved together. As collaborative journalism continues to evolve from an occasional practice to an essential strategy, Denver in May is where that transformation will be on full display.
Joe Amditis is the assistant director of operations at the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University. Contact him at amditisj@montclair.edu or on Twitter at @jsamditis.
About the Center for Cooperative Media: The Center is a primarily grant-funded program of the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. Its mission is to grow and strengthen local journalism and support an informed society in New Jersey and beyond. The Center is supported with funding from Montclair State University, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Democracy Fund, the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium, the Independence Public Media Foundation, Rita Allen Foundation, Inasmuch Foundation and John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. For more information, visit centerforcooperativemedia.org.
