Find Your Role at Public Media Network
Public Media Network distributes content at every level of community involvement from staff and fellows to open-platform contributors. Every piece of content carries a tier badge and up to two role tags that describe the work. Here’s how the system works and where you fit in
The creator pipeline
Community Creator
Open platform
Civic Creator
Standards acknowledged
Civic Journalist*
Training + certification
PMN Creator
Editorial oversight
Community Creator
Open platform submissions
Content submitted by community members with no editorial oversight or standards acknowledgment required. PMN provides the platform and distribution. Covers civic content, creative work, events, short films, and all open-platform submissions.
Civic Creator
Independent community creators
Independently produced content from community members who have acknowledged PMN’s standards: accuracy, no fabricated content, and transparency about conflicts of interest. PMN does not exercise editorial control.
PMN Creator
Content originated, produced, or editorially controlled by PMN. The PMN Creator badge means editorial oversight applies consistently, across all content types under this label.
In Development
Reserved for creators who have completed a PMN training program and signed a rigorous standards acknowledgment. Sits above Civic Creator and may connect to fellow, partnership, or professional development tracks. [Coming Soon]
Role Tags
Role tags describe the nature of the work in a given piece of content. All creators (PMN staff, Civic Creators, and Community Creators) use the same nine tags. Self-selected per piece, capped at two. Tags are informed by the Community News Roles Framework developed by Journalism + Design Lab.
[ R ] Recorder
Capturing and preserving community moments: events, performances, proceedings, oral histories
[ C ] Convener
Bringing people together around topics that matter through forums, podcasts, panels, and gatherings
[ S ] Storyteller
Making someone’s experience visible and understandable to people who need to hear it
[ V ] Verifier
Confirming information before publishing, a public commitment to accuracy and source transparency
[ CM ] Commentator
Sharing personal expertise, lived experience, community advocacy, or firsthand witness
[ I ] Inquirer
Asking questions, seeking perspectives, and digging deeper, including records requests and challenging power
[ SM ] Sensemaker
Helping others understand issues, including translation, accessibility, and creative or artistic forms
[ A ] Amplifier
Curating and distributing news: aggregators, newsletters, roundups, and cross-platform sharing
[ N ] Navigator
Connecting community members to resources, helping people take action and problem-solve around community challenges