JUDITH SMELSER HELPS OHIO COLLABRATIVE WITH STYLE & MOXY

When ideastream in Cleveland needed help building the Ohio news collaborative, they knew who to call: Judith Smelser, the “go to” consultant who has perfected the art and science of creating new journalism centers.

The Ohio Digital and Radio News Collaboration is preparing for its official launch in early 2020. Smelser can add it to her list of successful multi-station collaborations including Indiana's Regional Journalism Collaborative, the Texas Station Collaborative, which recently became the first NPR Journalism Hub.

The fiduciary and center point for the project is ideastream [link]. The two other stations in the collaboration are WOSU in Columbus and Cincinnati Public Radio. The three stations announced on Thursday (10/24) that a planning process is nearly complete and will be a reality after the first of the New Year.

Judith Smelser & Michael Marcotte

after a PRNDI training session

Smelser told Cleveland’s Crain’s Business Journal [link]:

“Ohio is in a great position to launch a public media journalism collaborative. Its stations have a history of working together, both through the Statehouse News Bureau and through informal content sharing among news departments. Deeper collaboration is a natural next step…”

SMELSER LIVES “THE FREE AGENT LIFESTYLE"

Smelser founded Smelser Editing & Consulting [link] in 2013. Her blog, Scribbles & Scruples [link] is a lot of fun.

Station clients have flocked her doorstep to take advantage of her ideas. She has consulted some of the leading shops in the public radio system: Capitol Public Radio, Sacramento; WUNC, Chapel Hill; KPBS, San Diego’ KERA, Dallas; WESA, Pittsburgh; Colorado Public Radio and Florida Public Broadcasting.

She often provides clients with story editing, training and advice about running a news organization. Smelser helped design and present PRNDI's [now PMJA] News Manager Training and Certification.

Consulting to news organizations around the country.  My current and past clients include helped design and present PRNDI's first and now ongoing News Manager Training and Certification.

Prior to starting her consulting gig, Smelser was Managing Editor at Colorado Public Radio and led CPR's participation in the innovative NPR/WBUR Here & Now Contributors Network. She is currently based in Orlando.

KEN SAYS: We have a prior association with Smelser. Around 20-years ago she started out at Feature Story News [link], an independent news provider in DC. At the time we were consulting The Stanley Foundation an organization that produced the weekly news show Common Ground and produced high-profile news specials.

[Editor’s Note: The Stanley Foundation will change its name to The Stanley Center for Peace and Security on November 11, 2019.]

Common Ground bought audio and reporter packages from Feature Story. That’s when and where we met Judith Smelser.

From the very start, we could see that Smelser had a keen ear and knew how to create powerful audio, all “on budget.” We are pleased to see she is doing so well.