We are building a tool to help newsrooms listen to emergency scanners

Civic Action Toolbox: Every story ends in something you can do.

August 19, 2026

Journalism tells people what’s happening. This tool helps them take action.

The Civic Action Toolbox connects local reporting to public meetings, comment periods and the officials who make decisions.

August 18, 2026

Finding the sweet spot with the Google Ad Grants Program

A conversation with Tyler Dedrick from Mountain State Spotlight

Muhammad Osama Farooq, Mariia Novoselia, Elizaveta Orlova, Laiba Khan Zai

August 17, 2026

RJI Student Innovation Fellows unveil tools and strategies for community newsrooms in public webinar

This summer, four international master’s students at the Missouri School of Journalism each spent 12 weeks stationed in a community newsroom, where they helped bring to life everything from new audience engagement strategies to data visualizations and automated information tracking.

Journalists, nonprofit leaders and community members gather to provide input on what they would find useful in a civic collaboration hub. Photo: Mariann Martin

August 17, 2026

Building a civic information hub

Civic Strata: A shared foundation for data, documents and community reporting.

August 14, 2026

20th RJI Student Innovation Competition open for entries

The Reynolds Journalism Institute’s (RJI) Student Innovation Competition is open for entries.

Executive Director of the Columbia Missourian Elizabeth Stephens [left] and Innovation in Focus Editor Eden Dinneen [right] create the Missourian’s first ad campaigns together with Google Ad Grants.

August 12, 2026

Testing Google Ads Grant program to grow local audiences

Exploring how free search advertising may increase readership and newsletter subscriptions

Package wrapped in newspaper with a red bow

August 11, 2026

Donations are becoming a lifeline for local newspapers, but not without tension

Some for-profit newsroom leaders believe reader support is a chance to keep pace with rising costs while keeping their publications available to the public.