Guide to Designing Symbiotic Relationships Between Journalism and Civil Society

Collaborative journalism is transforming the way we tell stories, understand issues, and influence the most pressing topics of our time. This guide for designing symbiotic relationships between journalism and civil society offers a practical model for moving from individual work to collaborative efforts, fostering partnerships that expand impact, and strengthen the democratic function of journalism.

Inspired by the concept of symbiosis (mutually beneficial relationships in nature), the guide combines lessons, examples, and tools for building authentic collaborations between media outlets, social organizations, and communities. Through a ten-point framework, it outlines essential principles such as trust, reciprocity, shared purpose, and measuring impact beyond traditional metrics.

Developed by Ceper Uniandes, Fundación Avina, Agencia de Noticias InnContext, and the Pulitzer Center, the publication compiles experiences from journalists and organizations across nine Latin American countries exploring how collaboration can generate closer audiences, more engaged communities, and meaningful changes and impacts through journalism.

The guide includes:

• A ten-point framework for building equitable and effective partnerships.
• Real-world examples of collaboration between journalism and civil society.
• Practical tools for planning, measuring, and sustaining joint impact.
• Key questions for designing transformative projects.

Available for free under the Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 license, this guide invites journalists, communicators, and organizations to envision new forms of collaboration that strengthen journalism as a public good.