Write for the Post
You go to the meetings. Tell your neighbors what happened.
The Conneaut Valley Post is looking for neighbors to cover the meetings, games and gatherings they already attend. You do not need to arrive as a polished writer. You bring what happened and why it matters; the Post helps you tell the story clearly and accurately.
You sit through the township meeting. You know which road gets paved next year and what the school board said about the budget. Most of your neighbors find out weeks later, or not at all. The Post exists to close that gap, and it cannot be in every room. You already are.
Start with one meeting, game or event. There is no commitment past the first piece.
Sound familiar?
“Nobody covers us.”
Decisions get made at a folding table in front of four people. By the time word gets around, it is done, and the version that gets around is not always right.
“I’m not a writer.”
That is all right. You know who is who, what was said and why it matters. The Post can help you shape good notes into a good story. Every piece is edited before it runs.
“I don’t have the time.”
Start with something you already attend. Send the notes you would take anyway and spend a few minutes afterward filling in what your neighbors need to know.
“I’m on the board. Isn’t that a conflict?”
It can be handled honestly. You can choose something you have no role in. If coverage touches your own role, the Post discloses that connection in plain sight.
You bring what happened. We help you tell the story.
Think of the Post as the desk behind you. Your part is being there, listening closely and getting the details right. The Post helps turn that work into a useful story for your neighbors.
- Start with context. Before an assignment, we will talk through what is happening, who is involved and what needs confirming.
- Send notes or a draft. Either is useful. We will decide together what the piece needs.
- Work with an editor. Every piece is reviewed for clarity, accuracy and fairness before it runs.
- Check the facts. Facts are attributed to the records, agencies and people they come from, and sources are listed with the story.
- Get clear credit. The published piece will accurately describe the reporting and writing each person contributed, consistent with the Post’s byline and AI policies.
- Fix mistakes openly. If something is wrong, the Post corrects it publicly under its corrections policy.
Start where you are comfortable.
Send something in
Send a tip, photo, event or correction when you see something your neighbors should know. It takes a few minutes and carries no ongoing commitment.
Report a beat
Attend one recurring meeting, team, club or community gathering and send useful notes. The Post will work with you to turn the reporting into a story.
Report and write a beat
Report and draft your own stories, with an editor in your corner before anything is published.
Founding correspondents wanted.
The Post is new, and that is the opening. The first people to cover these beats will help shape how their part of the valley is seen and understood.
- Springboro Borough Council
- Conneautville Borough Council
- Spring Township supervisors
- Beaver Township supervisors
- Summerhill Township supervisors
- Conneaut School Board
- School sports and activities
- Fire departments and ambulance services
- Churches, suppers and fundraisers
- Clubs and service groups
- Farms and farm markets
- Local history
- Photos from around the valley
Do not see yours? Tell us what you would cover.
Is this for you?
This may be a good fit if:
- You live in or near Springboro, Conneautville, Spring Township, Beaver Township or Summerhill Township, or you spend real time here.
- You already attend a meeting, game, club, church supper or other community gathering.
- You care more about getting it right than getting it first.
- You are willing to work with an editor.
It is probably not a fit if:
- You want a place to argue a cause or settle a score. News stories are not opinion; letters to the editor are welcome and labeled as opinion.
- You want to promote your own business or campaign.
- You want AI to write under your name. A story bylined with a person’s name is reported and written by the people it names.
Is it paid? No. The Post is self-funded by its publisher and free to read, and contributors are volunteers. What you receive is accurate credit for your work, an editor in your corner and a published record of what you covered.
From the form to your first piece
- Tell us what you would cover. Share your name, where you live, the kind of help that interests you, the beat you have in mind and how much time you have. Experience is welcome but not required.
- Talk with the publisher. A person will read the submission and follow up to discuss what fits.
- Try one small assignment. Start with one meeting, game or event.
- Shape the story together. Send notes or a draft and work with an editor to make it clear, accurate and useful.
- Publish with accurate credit. After the first piece, decide whether you want to keep going.
Before you decide
- Read How we report.
- Read the corrections policy.
- Browse the events calendar for a public meeting or community event.
- If you have a tip but not the time to cover it, send it here.
Pick one room. We will take it from there.
The short form goes to the same editor who reads tips and submissions. Start with one piece and decide from there.
Not ready? Get the Post by email and see how it covers the valley first.