THE NEWSROOM COLLECTIVE

A US-wide community of local newsrooms using video to enhance journalistic impact, expand audiences, and increase revenue. Powered by Knight Foundation.

About Newsroom Collective

Made possible by Knight Foundation, in alignment with Press Forward, VC’s Newsroom Collective supports local newsrooms across the United States with training, tools, and talent to expand audience engagement, diversify revenue streams, and enhance journalistic impact through video. Attend upcoming sessions here.


Why Join Newsroom Collective?

  • Learn from top video creators to create engaging multi-platform news content

  • Develop revenue-building strategies for growth and sustainability

  • Discover effective workflows for short-form video production

  • Access newsroom-tailored resources to support your team and build strategies


What You Get:

  • Monthly live sessions with industry experts

  • Slack community for local newsrooms and non-fiction video creators

  • Mentorship and training to enhance your skills and strategies

  • Free access to all in-person gatherings and exclusive video conferences

Get the Latest from Newsroom Collective

Enter your address to receive monthly event and resource updates from our Newsroom Collective team! (Your address is not stored; only your city, state or province and country.)

Join as a VC Gold member to access Newsroom Collective and a whole lot more. While building community across the country, you'll get valuable resources and benefits designed to help newsrooms and journalists improve and implement their own video strategies.

Newsroom Collective FAQ

Do I need to be a video journalist to join the Newsroom Collective?

Media professionals actively working across journalism, documentary, or nonfiction video who are passionate about continuing to elevate their skills in producing news-style video are welcome to join.

How do I join the Newsroom Collective?

Apply to join VC Gold here, and be sure to mark your interest in the Newsroom Collective in the application. Upon approval, you’ll receive an email about how to access all things Newsroom Collective.

Do I need to become a VC member to be part of the Newsroom Collective?

Yes! VC members on our Gold tier get access to exclusive programs like the Newsroom Collective and a whole set of other Gold-only offerings.

Can I join Newsroom Collective’s monthly virtual sessions if I’m not a VC Gold member?

You sure can. Visit our events page and register for a session. (Note: VC Gold members attend all monthly Newsroom Collective sessions gratis.)

What perks do I get?

By joining the Newsroom Collective as a VC Gold member, you gain access to monthly live sessions with industry experts and a supportive Newsroom Collective Slack community for local newsrooms and nonfiction video creators. You'll receive free entry to all in-person and virtual gatherings and sessions.

Can my newsroom have a group membership?

You bet. Newsrooms and organizations that sign up as a group receive a 10% group discount rate per VC Gold membership. To learn more about group memberships, email us at community@videoconsortium.org.

Are there Newsroom Collective benefits for VC Essential members?

There are! VC Essential provides free access to our global network and directory of nonfiction filmmakers, journalists, and organizations. Essential members can access job boards, newsletters, and VC’s larger Slack community, which offers resources, tools, and local events for newsrooms. Essential members can also attend our local in-person gatherings, which are an integral part of how we function as a network and support each other. See here for more info.

Why Video?

Video is the most powerful tool we have to engage and inform; it delivers authentic, intimate, and emotionally captivating stories that go beyond images and words.

As your newsroom explores new ways to amplify your stories and advance local journalism in the digital age, video is an unmatched medium for expanding your audience and reaching the communities you serve. Almost half of all U.S. consumers watch online videos daily, and young people primarily get their news through video. It’s undeniably the present and, inevitably, the future.

But bringing video into your newsroom requires a unique approach: it can be costly, technically nuanced, and intimidating to start — or expand. We're here to help you confidently streamline the process and find solutions through a community ecosystem of support.

The Newsroom Collective is a strategic advisor, a talent finder, and newsroom-to-newsroom support system. Along with your fellow newsrooms from across the US, join the community. Join our movement.

The Newsroom Collective's

Video Incubator

Within the Newsroom Collective, the Video Incubator empowers a select number of US newsrooms with the tools, insights, and deep community to sustainably integrate video into their digital content strategies. In this six-month cohort, newsroom teams learn to:

  • Improve the quality of multi-platform video storytelling

  • Efficiently increase short-form video production

  • Analyze and grow audience engagement

  • Build a sustainable video strategy towards monetization

The Video Incubator’s 2024-25 cohort brings together a mix of eight news outlets of different sizes, team dynamics, and communities served; together, they share learnings, experiment, and improve their video strategies.

Applications for the 2024/5 Video Incubator are currently closed. Please email us for more information.

“The Video Consortium is best in class when it comes to understanding how to produce compelling video journalism and documentary film in partnership with local newsrooms, and we are thrilled to support an expansion of their work."

— Duc Luu, Director of Sustainability Initiatives/Journalism, Knight Foundation

Above photos: VC member Caitlin O'Rourke in action, Alex Clark live-streaming behind the scenes, moments from VC members presenting work at local hub gatherings, by Bellyfire Productions; a video journalist filming by Jovaughn Stephens.