Category Archives: Media
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
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
Sustainable Jersey: Bringing the “Tech” into Sustainability
December 21, 2016How does technology relate to sustainability and Sustainable Jersey? The classic definition of sustainability suggests that our future depends on supporting three interdependent domains: environment, economy and society. Among these, society often gets overlooked. But in fact, it may be … Continue reading
Local News Lab: Diverse, Inclusive, and Informed
October 31, 2016What It Will Take To Build the Future of Journalism Holding a mirror to society, speaking truth to power and producing coverage and storytelling that can potentially build bridges between people and communities are critical functions I’ve always considered a … Continue reading
Free Press: How Community Media Can Fill Local News Gaps
September 6, 2016A key takeaway from the Alliance for Community Media’s recent conference in Boston: Community media can and must help fill the gaps in local news coverage that are growing across the country thanks to rampant consolidation and newsroom cutbacks. Community … Continue reading
NJ Platform: Growing Stories from the Grassroots in South Jersey
June 27, 2016At Media Mobilizing Project, we always say movements begin with the telling of untold stories. Based in Philadelphia for 10 years, we’ve begun branching out into South Jersey — mainly Camden and Atlantic City — to build a broader community of … Continue reading
Free Press: How an Organizing Mindset Can Serve Newsrooms
April 28, 2016Newsrooms are experimenting with different ways of engaging their audiences — and over the last few months Free Press has been on the ground figuring out the best ways to connect Garden State journalists and residents via our News … Continue reading
Free Press: A Divided Community Comes Together at News Voices’ Asbury Park Event
March 30, 2016While Asbury Park often feels like a city divided, there was an incredible spirit of unity at the high school Wednesday night as residents and journalists came together to find ways to forge a strong future for the community. Over … Continue reading
NJ Spark: Reporting on Issues of Poverty and Economic Inequality to Build Community
March 28, 2016“We’re so erased. If you’re a person of color, if you’re a woman, if you come from a poor background, if you come from a family who worked like dogs and never got any respect or a share of the … Continue reading
Free Press: Listen to People Who Care
February 24, 2016News Voices: New Jersey connects journalists with engaged members of their communities When I was a reporter, I would sometimes find myself asking: How do I make people care? Journalists often ask this question, especially when they’re tasked with … Continue reading
News Sites Partner to Put Spotlight on Immigration in New Jersey
February 22, 2016NJ Spotlight, Center for Cooperative Media and New America Media launch $30,000 crowdfunding campaign The run-up to the presidential election has thrust the subject of immigration squarely into the center of public discourse. Yet much of the discussion thus far … Continue reading
Lessons Learned from the Local News Lab
February 11, 2016Sharing what we’ve learned from our experiments in revenue and community engagement for local news. For the last 18 months the Local News Lab has been supporting local journalists who seek to transform their business model and reconnect with their … Continue reading