Six months of impact, implementation and growth

The ‘24-’25 Reynolds Journalism Institute Fellows launched their resources in March 2025 and have spent the last six months helping journalists and newsrooms implement these new tools to meet vital challenges and gaps in the news industry. 

Since then, the fellows have taught 29 workshops, webinars and presentations to more than 900 journalists to help them implement their innovative tools and resources. Each of these resources help newsrooms address current needs from visual contracts and archiving to operational strategy and building your freelance business. Dig into the tools the fellows have developed below and attend their upcoming events to learn more. 

If you have a resource you want to build to address a current need in journalism, applications for the 2026–2027 RJI Fellowship open Dec. 1, 2025. 

Learn more at About RJI fellowships and register for the Dec. 3 information session with Director of Innovation Kat Duncan.

Algorithmic Literacy for Journalists

Andy Lee Roth, Project Censored, Algorithmic Literacy for Journalists

Algorithmic Literacy for Journalists (ALFJ) offers resources to help journalists understand the functions, impacts, and ethics of algorithms. One guide covers algorithmic accountability reporting, journalism that informs the public about the risks and benefits of artificial intelligence. Another helps journalists and newsrooms respond to algorithmic “gatekeeping” like shadowbanning and demonetization that limit their reach.

So far, more than 3,000 people have visited the resource and its guidance is being incorporated into syllabi and newsroom training. One of their most popular resources explains how to respond to social media restrictions that can make reporting on controversial topics invisible.

“Algorithmic literacy for journalists can help revitalize public trust in journalism,” wrote Josslyn Rose for The Mānoa Mirror about RJI Fellow Andy Lee Roth’s presentation.

Upcoming events

• Oct. 15, 2025 – Workshop: “Social Media Is ‘Gatekeeping’ Your News” (MediaFest25, Washington, D.C.)
• Oct. 17, 2025 – Conference: “Beyond the Black Box: Using DIY Algorithm Audits to Develop Stories That Promote AI Literacy” (MediaFest25, Washington, D.C.)

The Data Sonification Toolkit

Aura Walmer, Data Sonification Toolkit

The Data Sonification Toolkit provides a starting point for journalists and designers of all skill levels to start their sonic data endeavors. These audio stories can elicit emotion and curiosity in a listener, don’t require sight to access, and are a great option for time-based data.

At the 2025 IRE Conference, Aura Walmer’s presentation on the toolkit inspired an audio story about rising New Orleans temperatures that was broadcast on NPR. Gulf States Newsroom reporter Drew Hawkins met with Walmer for guidance on the story and collaborated with brass band Bettis + 3rd Degree to create the audio. 

Listen to the story on the WWNO website.

Upcoming events

• Oct. 20-22, 2025 – SoniTEA Conference (New York)
• Nov. 14-16, 2025 – Information Plus Conference (Boston)

Freelance Quick-Start Guide

Katherine Reynolds Lewis, Institute for Independent Journalists, Freelance Quick-Start Guide

Learn to build a sustainable freelance business with the Institute for Independent Journalists’ Freelance Quick-Start Guide. The guide includes modules on assessing your starting point, defining your niche and rates; marketing, time management, project scope and contracts, and business structure. 

More than 250 journalists have signed up to use the guide and it’s been taught to more than 550 people at events including NAHJ, AAJA, NABJ and the Indigenous Media Conference. 

“It’s been helpful in thinking through how to logistically plan things out from the day to day so that I’m successful,” said Todd St. Hill.

Upcoming events

• Oct. 16, 2025 – MediaFest25 (Washington, D.C.)

Visual journalism toolkit

Michelle Kanaar and Alyssa Schukar, Prism Photo Workshop, Visual Journalism Toolkit

Investing in thoughtful visuals will help news organizations grow their impact, improve the depth of their storytelling and increase revenue. The Visual Journalism Toolkit from Michelle Kanaar and Alyssa Schukar of the Prism Photo Workshop provides practical resources for newsrooms including best practices and templates for hiring freelancers, navigating contracts, managing image libraries, and more.

The Toolkit was introduced to 130 people at the May 2025 Prism Photo Workshop in Chicago. It’s now being used in partnership with 15 organizations in journalism and tech.

“It is an abundance of resources for newsrooms without visual staff,” said April Alonso of Cicero Independiente.

Excellence Is

Kate Myers, Purple Pen Labs, Excellence Is

Leadership, strategy, and operations are key to a news organizations’ success, whether they are for-profit or non-profit. Excellence Is helps newsroom leaders evaluate where they are succeeding and where there is room to grow. After participants take a self-guided evaluation to get started, they receive a report with recommendations followed by a free one-on-one strategy session with RJI Fellow Kate Myers.

So far, ten organizations have completed the survey. Myers has met with seven of them for one-on-one strategy sessions and worked directly with three newsroom leaders in follow-up sessions tackling challenges including staffing transitions, financial planning and board development.

“Change is coming to us. We can manage to it and figure out where we want to go, or we can let it happen to us, and it’s going to be even more painful,” said Sonal Shah of The Texas Tribune at the “Leading Organizations Through Change (And Sometimes Crisis)” panel Myers facilitated at INN Days in Minneapolis in June 2025. 

Article as Homepage Toolkit

Alex Partida, Salt Lake Tribune, Article as Homepage Toolkit

Many news readers land on article pages as their entry point to a newsroom’s work. The Article as Homepage Toolkit teaches you how to optimize those pages as entry points by improving navigation, enhancing reader engagement, and incorporating elements that drive subscriptions and memberships. The toolkit includes actionable strategies to get started with audience research, A/B testing, and revenue as well as case studies from the Salt Lake Tribune. 

Dig In There

Zoli Csernatony; and Dana Amihere, AfroLA, Dig In There

Dig In There is an audience engagement tool that uses gamification to reward readers’ attention through interactive experiences built around your reporting. These experiences help readers absorb and retain the information you’re providing. Interested newsrooms can sign up for Dig In There’s launch list or schedule a demo.

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Cite this article

RJI staff  (2025, Oct. 14). How the 2024–25 RJI Fellows are moving journalism forward. Reynolds Journalism Institute. Retrieved from: https://rjionline.org/news/how-the-202425-rji-fellows-are-moving-journalism-forward/