We build resilient local news systems motivated by community needs.

Mission
We identify and nurture the informal ways people gather and share news and information—all the time, all around us, all through history. We partner with local information leaders and trusted messengers to build low-to-the-ground, grassroots news networks that intersect with, but are not reliant on, newsrooms and social media.
This work is rooted in partnerships with civic institutions, like community colleges, libraries and arts organizations. We work to activate and integrate these trusted spaces into local news infrastructure.
Keep up with the latest Journalism + Design stories, events, and more.
At a glance How can community colleges power deep listening that informs opportunities to strengthen local news? In spring 2026, County College of Morris (CCM) launched the Community Listening Fellowship,...
Scripps Howard Fund and Journalism + Design Lab announce Community College Experiential Journalism grants
The Scripps Howard Fund and the Journalism + Design Lab at The New School are excited to announce the four recipients of 2026–27 Community College Experiential Journalism Grants. This new...
News/Print: How community college students are blending art and journalism to elevate local stories
Last September, five community college students in the San Francisco Bay Area were given a challenge: develop an original piece of art about a local issue or story affecting people...
How newsrooms can strengthen information ecosystems by enabling community news roles
What would it look like if more newsrooms built on the abundance, diversity and momentum already in their communities to strengthen local news? In a new article for The Objective,...



