RJI news
La Voz de Chatham
During my RJI innovation fellowship at the Chatham News + Record this summer, I worked on a variety of audience engagement-related projects. One of the efforts that particularly excited me was a project made possible by a Facebook Journalism Project COVID-19 Local News Relief Grant, which the News + Record received right before the start … Continued
RJI competition challenges college students to help newsrooms reconnect with audiences
Newsrooms in the U.S. have the opportunity to pair up with journalism students from across the country to find new ways to engage with readers during the 14th annual RJI Student Innovation Competition.
Identifying and overcoming challenges with inclusive storytelling
When I proposed my hands-on diversity training program for newsrooms, I thought getting media partners on board would be the biggest challenge. I have been pleasantly surprised at the interest and willingness to participate, but overwhelmed by the need for this project which is in even greater demand because of this seminal moment. In my … Continued
Creating a voice in podcasting
Podcasts create an audience connection by connecting your community with a voice from your newsroom. This can diversify your audience’s experience through audio accessibility which gives you the opportunity to reach new parts of your community. One of The Washington Post’s most popular podcasts is “Can He Do That?” It discusses the powers and limitations of the President, and how … Continued
The secrets of successful newsletters
From subject lines to welcome campaigns, these are the most important things to get right
Good intentions for unpublishing may create unintended inequities
If you are working in a newsroom, you probably already know the challenges surrounding low-level crime reporting today. Crime briefs and the publication of mugshots drive a substantial number of unpublishing requests by individuals looking to shield these digital reminders of their past, often about old arrests or convictions. This has caused at least one … Continued
Journalists, business leaders consider roles in creating a more equitable, resilient local economy
As RJI continues to explore the links between rebuilding local economies and futureproofing local media, we want to better understand how to incentivize local conversations and experiments that help newsrooms build deep, reciprocal relationships that generate community-led solutions, revenue streams and business models to ensure their survival. The first of those experiments gets underway today … Continued
Hyperlocal solutions flourish to keeps Latinos informed
There are 59 million Latinos in the U.S., composing 18% of the national population. Latinos are the largest ethnic group in the country, yet there is a lack of national or, in most cases, state communications strategies to keep them informed. And now during COVID-19, timely and effective communication can make the difference between life … Continued
Q&A: Behind the AP News app with Dave Clark
Tatyana Monnay is the RJI Student Innovation Fellow at the Associated Press. This summer our student fellows will be sharing dispatches from their fellowships in newsrooms across the country for Innovation in Focus. Dave Clark is a mobile editor for the Associated Press. We spoke with him about the work that goes into the language choices and editing for … Continued
Can obituaries help save local news?
Years ago when asked what will save local news, Steven Waldman had two answers: national service and obituaries. You might know Waldman as the co-founder of Report for America, a Peace Corps-like model that pairs emerging journalists with local newsrooms to cover critical issues to those communities. After years of talking with journalists about what … Continued