Category Archives: Informed Communities
Newark needs info: A digital conversation
April 18, 2020By Brit Harley, WBGO and Mike Rispoli, Free Press To say that things are different right now in New Jersey is an understatement. The way we do school, food, work and community has shifted dramatically in just a few weeks. … Continue reading
Announcing our first round and COVID-19 relief and response grants
April 17, 2020At their first meeting of the year, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Trustees approved $4 million in grants to support New Jersey’s nonprofit sector, including $1 million in COVID-19 relief and response. The Board met virtually to approve the first of … Continue reading
Creative NJ hosts weekly statewide conversations to connect communities in time of crisis
April 14, 2020At Creative New Jersey, we know the power of keeping networks strong and connected, and we want to help everyone to advance a dialogue around the critical issues facing our communities right now, as well as share timely and accurate … Continue reading
Sustainable Jersey green teams gear up for a complete count in NJ
February 19, 2020In a little over a month, the U.S. Census will be in full swing. Homes across the country will begin receiving invitations to complete the 2020 Census either online, by phone or by mail. The count is mandated by the … Continue reading
Creative New Jersey Kickstarts Community Collaboration and Trust
October 29, 2018“How can we provide our youth with safe places for creative expression?” “How can we encourage young professionals to live, work, and raise families here?” These and dozens of other questions have been explored and debated in a remarkable series … Continue reading
Confronting plastic pollution, creating equitable communities and mapping sustainability issues
May 16, 20182018 New Jersey Sustainability Summit is June 18 Although the sustainability movement in New Jersey is experiencing significant momentum, important work is still on the horizon. There is perhaps no more powerful way to jump start fresh interest and energy … Continue reading
3 lessons we learned from Voting Block NJ
May 15, 2018Collaborative journalism is having a moment right now, but it’s more than just a buzzword. As budgets and staff sizes continue to shrink in local newsrooms, collaboration has become one crucial way to expand coverage and reach. Last year, in … Continue reading
37 People Struggling to Get by in New Jersey
April 10, 2018When it comes to telling stories of economic hardship, what can journalists learn from social workers? From oral historians? From artists? From community advocates? It turns out, a lot. At a recent workshop at Rutgers University convened by coLAB Arts and Free … Continue reading
Civic Info Bill would create fund to spark local journalism projects
June 27, 2017What would happen if you had the chance to reinvent local reporting? A bill was introduced in the state Legislature earlier this month that would create a fund to promote local journalism projects, the kind imagined by residents at community … Continue reading
Chris Satullo: How Local Media Can Regain Trust
March 27, 2017Here’s a news flash: Journalism is in trouble. The business models that once supported big newsrooms capable of churning out high-impact work are near collapse. Purveyors of fake news and propaganda seem to be proving that Gresham’s Law — bad … Continue reading
ArtPride New Jersey: Now is the Time
February 20, 2017“Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.” It’s the (early) 70’s and that was the warm up drill in Mrs. Lester’s typing class where I learned to type over 100 … Continue reading
Free Press: Race, the Media, and Politics in the Trump Era
February 1, 2017One of the most important roles news outlets have is their power to convene. They can bring together community members and those in positions of power, and provide a space for thoughtful conversation while asking necessary, but uncomfortable, questions. … Continue reading