OPIP's first focus is helping to improve financial stability of Oregon’s independent community newspapers with tax deductible donations. OPIP works to facilitate contributions and outside grants in support of Partner newspapers’ Educational and Freedom of Information coverages.
We believe there are other ways we can make a difference in for independent newspapers. As the Partnership evolves, so will opportunities for OPIP to assist newspaper and publishers and staff find and improve “Best Practices” in community journalism.
Among those practices:
Expanding Freedom of Information:
All newspapers inform their readers about activities, decision-making and documents of governmental agencies. As economic conditions cause reductions in reporting and editorial staff, OPIP will help its Partner newspaper collaborate on ways to maintain community access to Freedom of Information services.
OPIP board members have learned the hard way the "how-tos" of FOI and will share those techniques to OPIP members.
Improving trust with readers:
Overall readership trust in newspapers has suffered over the past 50 years, and particularly in recent decades. OPIP is working to develop programs to help Partner newspapers regain and maintain reader trust.
Professional and personal growth:
There’s an old saying: “If you're coasting, you're going downhill."
As OPIP gains its own financial stability, we will develop new ways to assist Partner newspapers with professional, managerial, news and marketing expertise.
Currently, that expertise is best developed through communications with the public and with other newspapers – OPIP offers this “Best Practices” forum as a platform for public comment about community newspapers, augmented by a private communications platform for Partner newspapers.