Nonresidential fellow jumpstarts his project with a visit to RJI

My fellowship project was transformed earlier this month during a three-day visit to Columbia, Missouri. The occasion was an informal convening of several of this year’s Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute fellows to discuss the varied projects we hope to bring to fruition over the coming months. Though it was a laid-back affair, the conversations … Continued

In natural disasters, less resilient poor most at risk

In the news Poverty is a major factor in the death of victims of natural disasters, including those that are climate related, according to a United Nations report released on Oct. 13 in connection with the International Day for Disaster Reduction. The U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction found that of the 1.35 million people … Continued

What gap? Study compares online news consumption of millennials and baby boomers

The perceived generational gap between millennials and baby boomers’ online news media usage is much smaller than previously assumed, according to a study by 2015-2016 RJI Fellow Harsh Taneja and other collaborators. Preliminary findings show this is due to the way online news is currently structured and how comfortable each generation is with these specific … Continued

FL#169: Building a 360 toolkit

Building a 360-degree toolkit Journalists are routinely using virtual reality and 360 video to put viewers in places they wouldn’t otherwise be. But for smaller newsrooms with modest budgets, 360-degree video can seem out of reach. Shaheryar Popalzai, a Knight International Journalism Fellow, says building a 360 video toolkit is easier and cheaper than you … Continued

One more time with feeling: A new way to look at the presidential debates

With apologies to gone-viral Ken Bone, most Americans have decided who they’ll be voting for on Nov. 8. Some have already cast their vote. Therefore, this year’s three presidential debates may be more for show than substance. It’s probably also fair to say that most folks who watched the first two debates viewed the responses … Continued

RJI adds chief technology adviser

Dale Musser, a former IBM manager and an associate teaching professor in the University of Missouri College of Engineering, has joined the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute as its first chief technology adviser. As RJI continues to help the journalism industry navigate today’s technological challenges and opportunities, Musser’s experience and keen insights will be an … Continued

RJI announces new event coordinator

The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute has named Tricia Morgan as its new event coordinator. Morgan, formerly an event coordinator with Investigative Reporters and Editors, will organize and plan RJI events including the Walter B. Potter Sr. Conference for community newspapers, Dodging the Memory Hole and the Gerald M. Boyd Lecture Series: Politics and Press … Continued

FL#168: Electome from MIT Media Lab

Electome from MIT Media Lab Electome is a new tool from the Laboratory for Social Machines at the MIT Media Lab that uses data to help capture and analyze social media conversations around the 2016 presidential election. The system uses machine learning and natural language processing to analyze hundreds of millions of Tweets every day. … Continued

What is a Things editor?

Gone are the days when news organizations had just copy editors and page designers. Today, there are newsroom titles like digital optimizer, audience analyst and executive mobile editor. As social media platforms have evolved so have job titles, along with the tools journalists use to communicate with audiences. In this series, RJI will learn more about these titles and the people who hold them.

Saving journalism—and story clips—from the trash heap of time

Altogether there are just 32 small envelopes, faded to an institutional green, with shredded corners and split seams. An unimpressive collection and, as their savior so plainly put it, not enough to fill a shoebox. Yet they hold almost three years of my life’s work. Work headed for a dumpster if not for the thoughtfulness … Continued