Writing Neighborhood Notes

The Twin Cities Daily Planet relies on citizen journalists and neighborhood correspondents for reporting on community news and events by the people who know it best—the people who live in the community.  We are especially committed to serving neighborhoods and communities that are under-represented in mainstream media-and we are looking for neighborhood correspondents for our 98 Minneapolis and St. Paul neighborhood pages.

 

Your neighborhood here!

Here's an example of a neighborhood page that already has a neighborhood correspondent.

We want short, informal Neighborhood Notes. Neighborhood Notes are updates about what's happening in Twin Cities  neighborhoods, submitted by neighborhood residents and volunteer neighborhood correspondents,  and not edited by the TC Daily Planet. You can read examples of Neighborhood Notes here.

What you do: 

  • post events on our community calendar;
  • promote your local coffee shop, school, or hardware store by adding it to our list of attractions;
  • write Neighborhood Notes about what's happening in your neighborhood, from bake sales to bank robberies! (Okay, maybe not bank robberies.)
  • We want short, frequent posts. Weekly posts are great, but you may post oftener, if you like.
  • ANYONE CAN SUBMIT A NEIGHBORHOOD NOTE. 
 
TC Daily Planet information
• More than a blog: Editorial procedures and standards
• TC Daily Planet editorial guidelines (for writers)
• Blogging on the TC Daily Planet (for bloggers)
• Information for freelance writers
• Becoming a neighborhood correspondent
• Resources for Citizen Journalists
• Classes and Training for Citizen Journalists
• How to use the Daily Planet—posting articles, blogs, events

Payment for Neighborhood Notes?

Neighborhood Notes are not assigned stories. As a neighborhood correspondent, you can post a note at any time, without checking with the editor. Neighborhood Notes are not edited stories. We are currently paying $10 for each Neighborhood Note. We will continue making payments as long as we have money to do so. The forms and instructions for invoicing and payment are found in this Google doc. All invoices must be sent within 30 days of submitting the Neighborhood Note.