Storytelling Partnerships
Helping Chesapeake stories reach the audiences they deserve.
Every day, remarkable stories unfold across the Chesapeake—at museums, working waterfronts, farms, festivals, historic sites, and small community organizations. Some have the resources to share those stories widely. Others do not.
Through thoughtfully selected storytelling partnerships, This Old Shore helps connect those stories with new audiences through the same research-driven, place-based approach that defines the project.
How Partnerships Work
Storytelling partnerships are designed primarily around short-form social media storytelling that introduces audiences to places, organizations, traditions, and ideas that enrich our understanding of the Chesapeake.
When a story warrants deeper exploration, This Old Shore may also choose to expand that work through long-form essays, photography, newsletters, or other editorial features. These decisions are made independently and are based on the story's broader historical, cultural, or environmental significance.
Every partnership begins with the same question:
Is this a story that will help people better understand the Chesapeake?
Partnership Opportunities
Commissioned Storytelling
Museums, heritage organizations, tourism destinations, nonprofits, and mission-aligned businesses may commission This Old Shore to produce original social media stories that introduce audiences to their work.
Partnerships may include:
—Short-form documentary-style videos
—Photography
—Story-driven social media features
—Event storytelling
—Cultural and heritage interpretation
Each project is tailored to the organization while remaining consistent with the editorial style and voice of This Old Shore.
Community Storytelling
Not every meaningful Chesapeake story has a marketing budget.
Each year, This Old Shore independently selects a limited number of community stories to produce at no cost. These may include volunteer-led organizations, local traditions, small museums, community events, or preservation efforts whose stories deserve a broader audience.
Selection is based on editorial fit, community significance, available time, and project capacity.
Fellowship & Underwritten Stories
Support from readers, patrons, and fellowship partners makes it possible to pursue stories that might otherwise go untold.
These independently selected projects often highlight overlooked histories, cultural traditions, working landscapes, and communities that lack the resources to commission professional storytelling.
Editorial Independence
Whether a story is commissioned, underwritten, or independently pursued, editorial independence remains central to This Old Shore.
Partnerships support the work—they do not determine its conclusions or editorial perspective. Long-form stories, newsletters, and additional coverage are published only when they align with the project's mission and editorial judgment.
Is Your Story a Good Fit?
If your organization has a story that can help people better understand the Chesapeake, I'd love to hear about it. This Old Shore is particularly interested in stories about:
Chesapeake history
Maritime culture
Museums and historic sites
Working waterfronts
Agriculture and foodways
Conservation and stewardship
Arts and culture
Community traditions
Heritage tourism
The people and places that define life around the Bay