About News Media Help Desk
About us
We’re here to help local media
News Media Help Desk is a help desk for the journalism industry. Through the creation of a Learning Center, with content like case studies and guides written specifically for a journalism use case, and our Digital On-Demand Services fractional support, we aim to help news organizations reach sustainability with their digital products.
The Help Desk is made possible by collaboration between the Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) and the Local Media Consortium (LMC). The initiative is also supported by a grant from The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
Meet The Team
Leah Becerra
Help Desk Product Director
Liz Hayes
DODS Program Manager
Randy Picht
RJI Executive Director
Fran Wills
LMC CEO
FAQs
Q: How does the Help Desk pick what tools get to be in the Scorecard?
A: The Help Desk has four areas of core tools that may be considered for the Tools Scorecard database: tools that are a utility, tools that optimize, tools that help connect with audiences, and tools that help with revenue. We are not paid to include any of the tools in the database, and inclusion is solely based on our editorial decision-making.
Since it is not possible for us to test every tool, due to costs and staffing resources, we rely heavily on feedback from professionals who work in the news industry. If we do not know about newsrooms using the tool, it will not be added to the database.
Q: Is Digital On-Demand Services part of the Help Desk?
A: Yes! Digital On-Demand Services (or DODS for short) is the name of our fractional services team, which is operated by the Local Media Consortium. Learn more about DODS here.
Q: Does the Help Desk have an editorial staff?
A: The Help Desk does not have staff writing roles. We work with Kathy Lu and student staffers from the Missouri School of Journalism to research, write, edit, and fact-check all the content we publish. We also partner with The Media Copilot for expertise on AI and content platforms.
Occasionally, we will cross-post stories with organizations we trust. We will also link out to external resources that may be valuable to people working in the journalism industry.
Q: Does the Help Desk use Artificial Intelligence?
We may use AI tools for limited, mechanical tasks that support the reporting and production process. These include transcription, interview highlights, organizing research materials, basic fact-finding and grammar checks. In all cases, final judgment rests with human editors and writers.
Contact Us
If you have a content idea that you’d like us to look into, fill out this form.
For fractional help with a digital opportunity or challenge, fill out this form.
For general inquiries about the Help Desk, send us an email.
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