By Catherine Komp, Engagement Director
One of the most innovative local news fundraisers in North Carolina is underway this week. Now in its seventh year, the Daily Tar Heel / Chronicle Rivalry Challenge is both a competition and a collaboration that’s inspired similar campaigns across the country.
For the week leading up to the first UNC-Duke men’s basketball game each year, staff from the DTH and Chronicle wage their own showdown, competing to see which news outlet can raise the most money. Tapping into the energy and excitement in the lead up to the game, they’ve been doing some playful taunting on social platforms (like this and this) and even taking to the court themselves for a friendly game. Last year’s efforts raised a combined total of nearly $129,000.
“It’s not a coincidence that the Rivalry Challenge tracks with our progress as a business over the last seven years,” said DTH Executive Director Will Lingo. “It’s not that we need the Rivalry Challenge to survive; it’s that the Rivalry Challenge represents the kind of idea that helps us thrive.”
The DTH and Chronicle staff also collaborate to produce a 32-page Rivalry Challenge special print edition, which is mailed to donors who give at least $25. Chronicle Sports Editor Ranjan Jindal says the special edition provides coverage you wouldn’t find anywhere else, from interviews with coaches and players to features that look at the community-side of one the greatest rivalries in college basketball.
“So much about the Duke/UNC rivalry, in my opinion, is about community,” said Jindal. “I wrote about a barber shop that brings together fans from both sides of the rivalry. That is something I’m really proud of and I think that theme is really showcased throughout our content.”
Jindal and DTH Sports Editor Caroline Wills say it takes a lot to produce local news, and not just from a writing and reporting perspective.
“Without funding, we can’t print our papers, pay our editors, or travel to games to provide our usual caliber of coverage,” Wills told NC Local. “So much goes into a fundraiser like this, and it’s something that has required the entire newsroom, from our editorial staff to our advertising staff.”
Both the DTH and The Chronicle are independent student-run news organizations that don’t get funding from their respective universities. They both publish daily (the DTH also has a print edition), covering a variety of campus news, local and state government, sports, arts and culture, and more. Last Fall, the DTH put out a special DEI edition following the Board of Governors vote to prohibit diversity and inclusion programs across the system. The Chronicle’s extensive 2024 election coverage included using community engagement and polling to focus their reporting, candidate comparisons on issues like voting rights and the environment as well as explainers on election administration.
In other words, impressive newsrooms that are filling information gaps and serving communities beyond their campuses.
The Chronicle’s CEO Chrissy Murray says the Rivalry Challenge is now about 10% of their revenue.
“This effort helps us maintain our full investment in the 200+ students that work for The Chronicle each year, even as expenses continue to rise. We haven’t made any cuts to stipends, scholarships, internships or sports travel,” Murray said.
Since the Challenge started in 2019, the two news outlets have raised more than $500,000 combined. Each year, the totals have grown but the organizations don’t just keep doing things the same way, says Murray.
“We tweak the challenge every year by adding in new marketing approaches, matching donations, and Rivalry prizes. We ask the impossible and we are continually surprised when they say, sure, we’ll help college media; this year Coach Jon Scheyer made a video for us.”
So did college basketball writer and broadcaster Seth Davis.
DTH’s Lingo says the Rivalry Challenge is hugely important to their overall business, but not just because of the money raised.
“It has become a great way for us to bring new people into the fold, both people who have a direct connection to the DTH and people who don’t. I think it’s easy for any nonprofit to end up talking to the same group of people over and over, and going to the same people for donations time after time. And while we always want to have our core constituency, our true believers, the Rivalry Challenge helps us cast a wider net,” said Lingo.
Although only one team gets the title for bringing in the most money, everybody wins. Plus, the student journalists get hands-on experience in developing news products, organizing fundraisers and managing collaborations (collaborivals?). The Chronicle’s Jindal says a big part of their strategy is understanding how grassroots organizing and audience engagement fit together.
“It’s super important to develop that trust with your audience and make sure you maintain a reliable content stream so they know what’s coming and are constantly getting information about donations and about content to get them excited,” said Jindal.
Looking to do something similar? DTH’s Caroline Wills recommends finding a high-profile, well-loved event that can be leveraged.
“Then, collaborate with another newsroom that can tell a different perspective of the story you want to tell about the event,” said Wills. “The most important thing is to put readers first, no matter what the overall goal is, because that is the best way to naturally attract the attention your project deserves. Make it visually appealing, make it interesting, and tell really good stories.”
Jindal adds start planning early, have constant communication and make sure the collaboration is mutually beneficial. Also, don’t be afraid to experiment.
“Keep every door open,” said Jindal. “We have tried a bunch of out-of-the-box ideas within this Rivalry Challenge while trying to maximize where people get their news and understanding that it’s different for a lot of people.”
The DTH-Chron Rivalry Challenge runs through tip-off this Saturday, February 1st. Track the fundraising progress and make a donation on The Chronicle’s site and The Daily Tar Heel’s.
