A group of opinion journalists are going to be getting a little help from a leading nonprofit journalism training organization.

Last week it was announced that the Poynter Institute will provide management services to the Association of Opinion Journalists in a new partnership that will aim to increase AOJ’s outreach and engagement.

As part of the agreement, AOJ will be based at Poynter headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida, where the association will receive administrative and organizational help from Poynter staff in areas such as programming, strategic goals, event and conference management, fundraising, and member recruitment.

“The agreement between AOJ and the Poynter Institute will extend the reach of our organization and increase our ability to offer training in the rapidly evolving craft of opinion journalism,” Lois Kazakoff, president of AOJ Foundation, said in a statement. “This will help ensure American media have a wide range of voices reflective of our diverse nation, especially in digital media.”

Tim Franklin, president of Poynter, said he believes the partnership will help strengthen both organizations. “AOJ and the Poynter Institute share a common mission: fostering journalistic excellence that improves our democracy and engages citizens. We’re honored that AOJ has decided to call Poynter its home.”

In addition to helping with AOJ’s Minority Writers Seminar and annual symposium, Poynter will collaborate with the association on their first joint event—an April reception in Washington, DC, held in conjunction with AOJ’s annual State Department briefing.

This isn’t the first time Poynter has partnered with a journalism-related association. Last fall, the organization announced it would work with the Online News Association to help train more than two dozen female journalists on how to get ahead in the field of digital journalism as part of the ONA-Poynter Leadership Academy for Women in Digital Media.

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