In partnership with New Mexico Local News Fund, Journalism + Design will award a total of $120,000 in seed funding to New Mexico community colleges for projects that improve the flow of reliable news and information in their surrounding communities.
The Community News Transformation Grant program is part of Journalism + Design’s ongoing commitment to creating pathways for more people to participate in their local news ecosystem. It represents J+D’s belief that a grassroots strategy is crucial for building sustainable local news ecosystems for the future.
The grants will fuel programs that enable more people to actively engage in keeping their neighborhoods informed and to explore how journalistic skills can open doors to careers across various sectors. With a focus on sustainability, the colleges’ programs also will build different opportunities for participants to apply these skills in real-world scenarios in the places where they live, whether through jobs, internships, fellowships, or entrepreneurial ventures.
College teams can pitch their own original idea or adapt one of the proven program models from Journalism + Design’s network of community college partners, including noncredit or credit pathways; community collaborations; strengthening student media; local community newsrooms; or entrepreneurship.
“Community partnerships are essential to the long-term growth and sustainability of local news, and we’re excited to partner with Journalism + Design for this initiative,” said Rashad Mahmood, Executive Director of the New Mexico Local News Fund. “We spent a lot of time thinking intentionally about the design of this program to give it the flexibility to meet the needs of community colleges and branch campuses in New Mexico, while exploring new ways of providing local news to the communities they serve.”
“Pathways matter: that’s the message we hear again and again from faculty and staff at community colleges and local news experts throughout New Mexico,” said Valerie Popp, Journalism + Design’s Program + Sustainability Lead. “Our new program taps the collective power of colleges, local news outlets, businesses, and community organizations to imagine practical yet creative paths from journalistic training to diverse educational and career opportunities.”
To learn more about Community News Transformation Grants, visit the program homepage, register for our virtual information session on Wednesday, March 12th at 3:00 pm ET, or drop by our open office hours on Thursdays at 3:00 pm ET (beginning March 13th).
The program is made possible by generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.