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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
Afro-American’s archives reveal the fight for Black women’s right to vote — and the battles beyond
The Black women of Baltimore weren’t content to simply celebrate the ratification of the 19th Amendment, 100 years go this month. They intended to use its power. With only two months to prepare, suffrage leaders immediately began organizing to educate other Black women about how they could take advantage of this new right in the … Continued
Utilizing the WhatsApp audio feature for news
One of the most popular features of WhatsApp is the ability to leave a short audio message in lieu of a text message, video or photo. It’s a feature that’s widely used across the world, but less so in the United States. And Radio remains popular across Latin America, especially in areas with limited internet … Continued
Build a real-time dataviz bot (for free!)
When it’s not busy playing host to cryptocurrency scams, Twitter remains a widely adopted platform for the distribution of bite-sized information. For that reason alone, it’s well-suited to sharing real-time data—especially via charts and graphics.
Getting started as an independent journalist
Hannah Yoon, independent visual journalist, Mason Trinca, documentary and editorial photojournalist, Sarah Fritsche, independent food writer and editor, and Maddie McGarvey, independent photographer, joined our discussion on how to succeed as an independent journalist. We talked about healthcare, building your client base, making time for personal projects, invoicing & contracts, how to prepare for slow months … Continued