Innovation team

The RJI Innovation team empowers practical innovation for community-centered journalism. We build free, accessible & open source resources, programs, workshops and tools for and with journalists and newsrooms.

Visit our Innovation Hub: all of our free resources, tools and platforms for journalists and newsrooms.

Sign up for our newsletters:

Innovation in Focus: a monthly delivery of the IIF experiments, Q&As

RJI Innovation: a monthly round-up of all our deadlines, projects, programs and events

Professional Programs & Workshops:

Professional Innovation Fellowships: 8 month fellowship where journalists from all over the world develop innovative resources, programs and tools with our support and guidance.

Community-Centered Symposium: a symposium for a cohort of 30 community-centered journalists who want to come together to share and create thoughtful and actionable ways to serve our communities better. Apply now for May 2027.

Rural Revenue Transformation Workshop: This workshop is for news, information and community leaders who are located in and serve rural, low-income and geographically dispersed communities. Apply now for May 2027.

News Founders Workshop: This is a limited seat, off-the-record, workshop that provides the space, guidance and resources for news founders to figure out the next step for their organizations and themselves. Apply now for November 2026.

Women in Journalism Workshop: workshop where female journalists from around the world gather for vital training, skills building and discussions.

Vertical Storytelling Workshop: A 2-part virtual workshop for beginners. Attendees learn the ins and outs of creating engaging and informative vertical storytelling experiences. Next workshops are September and October 2026, and they are full! Please email Duncank@rjionline.org if you’d like to be added to the waitlist.

Cristal Sanchez, RJI Student Innovation Fellow, center, speaks with community members about Spotlight Delaware en Español at the local Latin American Community Center.

Student programs:

Student Innovation Competition: annual innovation competition where students across the country work together in teams on a project that tackles a challenge faced by the journalism industry. Challenge changes every year to address a timely need in journalism. Deadline September 13, 2026 to enter!

Student Innovation Fellowships: summer fellowships where students are matched with local newsrooms all over the country to work on innovative initiatives. Applications open October 5, 2026.

Student Innovation Staff: If you are a Mizzou student who would like to work with our team please apply: bit.ly/innovationstudents Applications are rolling.

Rising Innovators: A hands-on workshop & guest lecture series where students get to learn about innovative, non-traditional skills, storytelling and methods for journalism. Past sessions have included AI tools, zines, community event building and vertical video.

Series & articles:

Innovation in Focus: monthly series which explores short-term experiments with emerging technology, tools and storytelling methods for journalism with our student innovation staff.

RJI innovation guest columnists, journalism leaders who write about issues at the intersection of journalism and practical innovation.