Columbus Documenters
Signal Columbus’s Documenters program trains and pays Greater Columbus residents to attend local public meetings, monitor our elected officials, and create a new public record.
Join the Documenters Network to get involved!
Documenters keep an eye on local officials
Launched in October 2025, Columbus Documenters is the first step in launching Signal Columbus, the fourth newsroom in the Signal Ohio network of independent, community-led, nonprofit newsrooms.
As of May 2026, Columbus Documenters have taken full advantage of the public’s right to attend government meetings. We’ve trained nearly 50 Greater Columbus residents and put more than 32 local government meetings on the record.
We’re just getting started.
Columbus Documenters is a member of City Bureau’s Documenters Network, part of the soon-to-launch Signal Cincinnati newsroom, and is powered by Signal Ohio.
Meet Helen Maynard, Columbus Documenters’ Community Journalism Director
I look for innovative ways to center news on community interests so more residents can have positive, direct interactions with journalists.
I seek out different opinions, support emerging journalists, and teach community writing and story development so people can tell their own stories, build their own power and make the change they want to see.
Reach out to Helen at columbusdocumenters@gmail.com.
Stay informed
Each week, Columbus Documenters are paid to attend public meetings held by local government agencies. Documenters take notes on what happens, and their reporting is edited by program staff.
Documenters notes are available for anyone to read and for journalists to use in their work. (Try searching for an agency or topic you want to know more about.)
Become a Documenter
By creating a Columbus Documenters account, you’ll immediately be able to register for free workshops and connect with other Documenters across the network.
Attend one of our regularly scheduled orientations, and you’ll be certified to apply for paid assignments covering local government meetings. Learn more about how to become a Documenter below.
How to become a Columbus Documenter
- Create an account at Documenters.org. Creating an account requires only your name and an email address.
- Once you have an account, fill out the sign-up form linked on your Documenters.org profile page.
- To find the page, click the yellow circle with your initials in the upper right corner of the home page at Documenters.org.
- In the drop-down menu, click “Profile.”
- Click the square pencil icon in the upper right hand corner of the page.
- Scroll down to “Sign-up form” and click the “Edit” button.
- Fill out the sign-up form.
- Attend an Ohio Documenters orientation and note taking training. After attending and taking our “Public Meetings Quiz” you’ll be able to apply for paid Columbus Documenter assignments. Find the next orientation in the “Workshops” at Documenters.org, or in the events list below👇🏿
Get involved
Learn more about our work in this ABC News piece on our sister site, Cleveland Documenters!
