Hailing from a variety of backgrounds and walks of life, recent graduates of The Land’s Community Journalist program were recently united by a shared passion for storytelling and the strengthening of neighborhood connections.
The three writers, who are the latest additions to The Land’s growing cohort of Community Journalists, assembled on Saturday, March 16 for a panel discussion and networking event at the Hough Branch of the Cleveland Public Library. Hosted by Executive Director Chris Mosby, the panel was an opportunity for the new reporters to share their experiences with the public.
In the course of the Community Journalist program, participants are mentored and trained by media professionals as they report, write, edit and publish their first articles. Participants who complete the program receive a stipend for their work and are welcomed to continue writing for The Land. Notably, the program reached a milestone this month by producing the 100th story from a Community Journalist.
Although the participants went through the same process, each had their own motivations for joining the program. Elan Eichler, a recent transplant to Cleveland, saw an opportunity to learn more about the city and its people. His first story for The Land highlighted the Cleveland Jewish Collective and its imaginative, queer-friendly Hanukkah celebration in December 2023.
“I just wanted to get to know the city more and get to know my community, so I thought that doing some community reporting would be a way to do that,” he said.
“It’s a really cool community. And I am a part of this community – it turns out the rabbi is our downstairs neighbor,” Eichler added with a laugh.
Similarly, Molly Wilson, a freelance writer originally from Mentor, saw the program as a gateway back into news reporting while also learning more about her community. The story she developed for the Community Journalist program profiled several vendors at Cleveland’s iconic West Side Market.
“Since living in Cleveland, I’ve really liked to go and shop there as much as I can, so the story originally started out with how (the vendors) have managed to be successful there even through the changing world,” Wilson said.
The third community journalist, Tremont resident Ronaldo Rodriguez, Jr., said his love for learning and natural curiosity led him into the program. His story explored the work of Creation Care, an environmental stewardship initiative launched by the congregants of Saint Malachi Parish.
“I like to write about our churches. I think they all have a fascinating history and some of the work that they’re doing is amazing,” Rodriguez said. “I love hearing the stories from our churches. I think there’s a lot of potential for real changes in our community by engaging with our congregations and when I heard about Creation Care, I immediately wanted to get engaged.”
Hard-won wisdom
When asked for the most impactful lessons they learned throughout the Community Journalist program, the panelists reflected on the work they put into their stories. Eichler pointed to the interviewing process as one hurdle he had to overcome with the help of The Land’s staff.
“One thing I was unsure about was (the question of) ‘who all do I talk to for this story?’ So, getting advice on the amount of people I should interview, the questions to ask … things like that were really helpful for me,” he said.
Even the process of developing a story idea into a fully-fledged article can be difficult, which Wilson took note of.
“The biggest thing for me was the pitch process. I’d never really learned how to do that or been encouraged to do that before, so that was really cool,” she said. “To have my ideas be shaped and accepted – that was really neat. Even just to learn what a pitch was and what that meant… was really helpful.”
Rodriguez reflected on the experience of learning in-depth media ethics and the other critical considerations that must be taken into account when practicing journalism.
“For me, I learned the difference between editorializing and reporting. I also gained a greater appreciation for the ethics of journalism and making sure that whatever it is you’re reporting on is accurate,” he said. “I love history, so I always look back at old newspapers. Once we document something, it’s kind of written in stone. So I definitely tried to work to not only make the story interesting but accurate.”
But hard work wasn’t the only takeaway – the community journalists also made mention of their favorite memories from the process.
“Doing all the interviews was really fun,” Eichler said. “I enjoyed sitting down with Rabbi Miriam (Geronimus, founder of the Cleveland Jewish Collective) and just getting to hear her story of how she came to be a rabbi. And all the different members that were part of the congregation I talked to – just hearing how accepting the congregation has been for them was cool and affirming to learn about.”
“I think the biggest thing for me was the collaboration process with The Land’s editors,” Wilson said. My story kind of evolved a little bit … so having Lee (Chilcote, founder of The Land) help me reshape it really got me fired up and energized to finish it.”
“My favorite part was the actual interview. It turned into this full-fledged community meeting,” Rodriguez added. “As we were talking, other people were listening in, and slowly but surely, other people started engaging in the conversation too. I just thought it was amazing how an interview turned into this engaging conversation in the back room of a coffee shop.”
Pointers for the next class
As the Community Journalism program continues to engage aspiring writers who wish to give a voice to their neighborhoods, graduates of the program had first-hand advice to share.
“If you’re not sure what you’re going to write about, just use it as an opportunity to get to know what’s going on in your community,” Eichler said. “For my next story, I looked at what businesses are opening in the Tremont area, just as another way to get to know what’s going on.”
For Wilson, the twists and turns a story can take on its way from drafting to publication can be stressful, so she advises future participants to be prepared to pivot when the situation calls for it.
“(Your story) will evolve,” she said. “That seems to be very normal. So, don’t be afraid of that.”
Echoing the sentiment, Rodriguez urges those interested in becoming community journalists to be flexible and open-minded when developing their reporting skills.
“Go with the flow, let the story evolve,” he said. “I think fear affects a lot of people and it prevents us from doing things. I think the advice I’d give to any future journalists is ‘just don’t be afraid.’ Put yourself out there, don’t let the fear of judgment stop you from telling your story or telling other peoples’ stories.”
View all of The Land’s community journalism stories here.
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