Engaging with our readers, most times, takes the form of phone calls, community meetings, emails and messages on Facebook. With the Concord Monitor’s reader advisory board — which brings community-minded individuals together to talk about local news — we can hear directly from people across our coverage area about how we can improve as a newspaper to maintain our current readership and build our audience.
I joined the Concord Monitor as the paper’s engagement editor just over four months ago. A few weeks in, I ate pizza with this group of dedicated readers while they shared their thoughts on our latest coverage. It was my first time speaking face-to-face with people who not only read the Monitor regularly, but also care about what we cover and how we cover it.
The reader advisory board is entering its fifth year and we are ready to welcome a new group into the newsroom.
If you’re active in the community, have a passion for local news and want to learn more about the work that goes into the Concord Monitor, please apply online by Friday, Dec. 19 at 11:59 p.m. to join our reader advisory board’s 2026 cohort.
You do not need to re-apply if you have filled out the application for the reader advisory board before. All previous entries have been saved.
How can I apply?
We’re looking for people who live, work or go to school in a town or city in the Monitor’s coverage area who are involved in their local community and are invested in local news.
Applications will be accepted through Friday, Dec. 19, with the first meeting to be scheduled for January.
Here’s what to expect as a reader advisory board member
Your bio will appear at concordmonitor.com, which means people may reach out to you with questions or ideas. Past board members said they became a liaison between the newsroom and their community.
Discussion and an exchange of ideas are at the heart of this program. We rely on our board members to give their input on changes and improvements for the newspaper and our website as a whole.
One of the biggest commitments we ask of reader advisory board members is to read the Monitor regularly and tell us what they think. We rely on our board members to share what’s going on in their neighborhood or community, to offer guidance on who we should talk to and to let us know what themes they’re seeing and what questions we could answer. We’re committed to including voices from our community in everything we do at the Monitor, and the reader advisory board is a great opportunity for us to connect and learn.
A commitment to active participation
If chosen as a reader advisory board member, you are committing to a one-year term on the board beginning January 2026. You’re asked to attend bi-monthly board meetings, or six meetings in the year, typically held in the Monitor building on weekday evenings. We know life happens, but given the active participation role the board requires, we ask that if you sign on, you will do your best to attend regularly.
As a board member, you must be able to respect diverse opinions. We want board members who are passionate and locally focused, ready to share their opinions and expertise while listening to and considering other viewpoints. The reader advisory board is a space for conversation and exchange, not conflict. We ask that you come ready to consider the bigger picture on a topic and incorporate a wider worldview when needed.
What will the meetings and discussions look like?
Each meeting’s discussion topic will look a little different, depending on what’s happening in our communities and what the board members and editors feel is most pressing to talk about. However, meetings will always include announcements and updates from the Monitor team and a conversation about any thoughts or questions that came up for board members when reading the Monitor.
You can expect to hear from and ask questions to reporters, as well as staff from different departments who will share how things work at the Monitor for advertising, digital and editorial. We’ll also take a tour of our printing facility in Penacook.
A lot of what we talk about will be guided by what the cohort is interested in learning and what the Monitor team would like to learn from the board members.
“The best part is interacting with these young wonderful reporters,” said former reader advisory board member Nick Perencevich. “It’s a great experience to respect and understand your newspaper.”
How will the board be selected?
A selection committee will evaluate and choose 10 to 15 board members with the goal of including a wide range of perspectives and experiences. For example, we want to avoid the board being made up of people from the same town or age group. The selection committee will include current board members and Monitor editors.
To ensure fairness, those who currently hold elected positions, those who are considered public figures or those with a role in locally-connected public relations or communications will not be chosen for the reader advisory board to avoid conflicts of interest.
Applicants will be notified of their status via email after the Dec. 19 deadline. Reach out to ewisniewski@cmonitor.com with any questions.
What you need to know
- One-year term begins in January 2026.
- Bi-monthly meetings (six meetings in one year) held in the Concord Monitor newsroom at 1 Monitor Drive.
- Read, share and discuss local news.
- Visit the Monitor printing press facility in Penacook.
- Apply online today: bit.ly/3xlTouf.