Join the Newsroom

Interested in Contributing to Quincy Current?

Quincy Current is looking for volunteer meeting reporters, writers and photographers throughout the Quincy, Illinois area who share an interest in local news, community storytelling and accurate journalism.

Local news is strongest when people are paying attention to what is happening in their neighborhoods, schools, government meetings, businesses and community organizations.

Whether you are an experienced writer or photographer, a college student interested in journalism, a longtime Quincy resident with deep knowledge of the community or simply someone who believes local stories deserve to be told, we would like to hear from you.

Opportunities to Contribute

Quincy Current may work with volunteer contributors in several areas.

Meeting Reporters

Local government often makes decisions that directly affect the community, yet many meetings receive little or no regular coverage.

We are especially interested in contributors willing to attend and report on public meetings involving:

Quincy City Council
Adams County government
school boards
park and library boards
planning and zoning
public commissions
neighborhood organizations
other governmental and civic bodies

Meeting reports should focus on what happened, what decisions were made, what was discussed and why those decisions matter to local residents.

Community Writers

We welcome writers interested in covering stories such as:

local businesses and development
community organizations
schools and education
arts and culture
local events
neighborhood stories
interesting people
historic preservation
Quincy history
civic issues
features and human-interest stories

Our goal is not simply to publish more content. It is to publish useful, accurate and distinctly local journalism.

Photographers

Strong visual journalism is an important part of Quincy Current.

We are interested in photographers who can document:

breaking news scenes
community events
public meetings
historic buildings
new construction and development
businesses
weather
festivals
sports and recreation
everyday life throughout Quincy and Adams County

Images submitted for news coverage should accurately represent what was photographed and should not be materially altered in a way that changes the meaning of the scene.

What We Are Looking For

Previous journalism experience is welcome, but it is not necessarily required.

More important are:

Curiosity.
You notice what is happening around you and want to understand it.

Accuracy.
You care about getting names, dates, quotations and facts right.

Fairness.
You are willing to listen to more than one side of a story.

Reliability.
If you agree to cover something, the newsroom needs to be able to depend on you.

Local interest.
You care about Quincy and believe informed communities are stronger communities.

Professionalism.
Contributors represent Quincy Current when gathering information and should conduct themselves accordingly.

Our Editorial Standards

Anyone contributing journalism to Quincy Current is expected to follow our Editorial Policy.

That means:

facts should be verified;
rumor should not be reported as fact;
quotations should be accurate;
sources should be appropriately attributed;
conflicts of interest should be disclosed;
advertising relationships should not influence reporting;
people facing significant criticism should ordinarily be given an opportunity to respond;
news reporting should remain separate from personal political or commercial advocacy.

Quincy Current may edit contributed material for accuracy, clarity, length, grammar, style and consistency with our editorial standards.

All material is subject to editorial review before publication.

Local Knowledge Matters

One of the greatest strengths a community newsroom can have is people who genuinely know the community they cover.

You may know the history of a neighborhood.

You may attend every school-board meeting.

You may notice when construction begins on a building everyone else drives past.

You may know the stories behind Quincy’s architecture, businesses, churches, parks or institutions.

That knowledge can become valuable journalism when paired with careful reporting and verification.

Volunteer Contributors

Current contributor opportunities are primarily volunteer-based unless another arrangement is specifically agreed upon in advance.

Volunteer participation does not guarantee publication, regular assignments, employment or future compensation.

As Quincy Current grows, paid freelance or staff opportunities may become available depending upon newsroom needs, revenue and the nature of the work.

Any paid arrangement would be discussed and agreed upon separately.

Contributor Independence

Contributors should disclose any personal, professional, financial or organizational relationship that could reasonably create a conflict with a story they are covering.

For example, someone should generally not independently report on an organization they manage, a political campaign they actively support or a business in which they have a financial interest without discussing that relationship with the editor first.

Transparency protects both the contributor and the credibility of Quincy Current.

Student Contributors

Students interested in journalism, photography, communications, government or local history are encouraged to inquire.

Quincy Current can provide an opportunity to gain practical experience in:

interviewing;
public-meeting coverage;
photography;
writing;
research;
public records;
community reporting; and
digital publishing.

Student work remains subject to the same accuracy and editorial standards as other Quincy Current journalism.

Have a Particular Expertise?

We are also interested in hearing from people with specialized knowledge who may be able to contribute occasional reporting or analysis involving subjects such as:

local history;
architecture;
business;
government;
education;
agriculture;
weather;
arts;
sports;
transportation;
development; or
other areas of community interest.

Specialized knowledge is valuable, but contributors must still distinguish factual reporting from personal opinion.

How to Apply

Interested in contributing?

Send an email to:

news@QuincyCurrent.com

Use the subject line:

Join the Newsroom

Please include:

your name;
where you live;
the type of contribution that interests you;
subjects or areas you would like to cover;
any relevant writing, photography or journalism experience;
links or samples of previous work, if available; and
a brief explanation of why you would like to contribute to Quincy Current.

Experience is helpful.

A commitment to accuracy, curiosity and the Quincy community matters more.

Help Us Cover Quincy Better

No single reporter can attend every meeting, photograph every event or discover every story.

A strong community newsroom grows by building relationships with people who care enough to pay attention.

If that sounds like you, we would be glad to hear from you.