In Brief
Catalyzing more resilient, inclusive local news ecosystems across New Mexico by activating community colleges.
Program Overview
Launched in 2025, the Community News Transformation Grant program supports selected community colleges throughout New Mexico with funding and participation in a two-year learning cohort aimed at fueling stronger local news and information systems across the state.
College teams work across departments and disciplines and partner with local media organizations and community groups to create programs on campus. The goals are twofold: to broaden and diversify participation in New Mexico’s local information ecosystems and to build sustainable pathways–fellowships, internships, freelance reporting, higher education pathways, and more–for people to apply journalistic skills.
The program is co-led by Journalism + Design at The New School and the New Mexico Local News Fund and is jointly funded by the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, the Knight Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation.
Program Goals
Community News Transformation Grants are designed to:
- Strengthen local news ecosystems across New Mexico
- Support community-based and collaborative journalism models
- Build inclusive, accessible pathways to participating in local news and information
- Foster partnerships between colleges, media outlets, and community organizations
- Equip students and community members with real-world storytelling and media skills
What the Program Offers
The Community News Transformation Grant program provides cohort college teams with a range of resources and opportunities, including:
- $77,000 in funding for each college, to support the design, launch, and iteration of community journalism programming
- Participation in a two-year learning cohort focused on innovation, collaboration, and sustainability, facilitated by the J+D Lab and New Mexico Local News Fund
- Opportunities to partner with local media partners and community organizations
- Support for developing pathways for more people to participate in the flow of local news and information, including training programs, internships, fellowships, etc.
- Access to a broad network of funders and partners supporting local journalism initiatives
- Access to J+D’s community of practice, which includes events, tools, case studies, program models, and a national network of aligned practitioners that help colleges launch and sustain local news and information initiatives.
About Our Partners
The New Mexico Local News Fund works with journalists, community members and organizations across New Mexico to support journalism and ensure everyone has access to local news they can trust. Their current programs include Local News Fellowships, a New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions-supported effort that builds pathways into local journalism by matching recently-graduated college journalists with opportunities at newsrooms across the state; the New Mexico Local News Accelerator, which provides grants, coaching, and support to help local newsrooms create new revenue streams and develop sustainable business models; and the Local News Incubator, which seeds news and information platforms in communities without access to reliable local news. Alongside the Thornburg Foundation, NMLNF leads the New Mexico chapter of Press Forward, a national local news initiative led by the MacArthur Foundation and launched in September 2023.
Current Cohort Projects
Community Centered Journalism (CCJ)
Doña Ana Community College
CCJ will bridge the gap between traditional journalism and community needs by expanding the reach of existing journalism coursework and developing mentorship and internship pathways with local news organizations. CCJ participants will learn how to create news products–like newsletters–that respond to community needs and get hands-on experience in covering community issues through partnerships with outlets like the Organ Mountain News.
Community Journalism Collective
Southeast New Mexico College
SENMC’s “Community Journalism Collective” will build a more resilient local news system in Eddy County, NM by leveraging a collective of local partners, including local newspapers, radio stations, libraries, and the United Way, to develop trainings for community members and sustainable career pathways for people to apply their skills. Key activities include storytelling workshops, a digital news hub hosted by SENMC, journalism bootcamps, paid fellowships, and mentorships with working journalists.
Beaming Up the Future of Community News
Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell
ENMU-R’s project will use the 2026 Air Races as a launchpad for a media arts and journalism initiative focused on real-world storytelling and civic engagement. Students will gain hands-on experience in interviewing, video production, and podcasting while collaborating with community members to report on local issues. Coverage of the races will spark broader conversations about economic development, tourism, education, and civic life. By embedding this work into existing courses, students will develop essential technical and storytelling skills while producing content that informs and reflects the Pecos Valley community.
Exploring New Horizons in Santa Fe
Santa Fe Community College
A collaboration with Santa Fe Public Radio (KSFR), SFCC’s project will recruit students from local high schools and rural communities, including Pueblo communities, to learn skills in the mediums of audio and video, including digital and terrestrial production in radio, film, and television. Participants will receive training, get access to hands-on modules for each of the mediums involved, and collaborate with Santa Fe-area media partners to produce and deliver journalism that helps their communities. SFCC aims to integrate the project into its SFCC Mosaica program and create a noncredit community journalism credential or certificate.
Updates and Learnings
- Local News in a Digital World: Navigating the New Information Era (New Mexico Local News Fund 2026 Summit)
- Announcing the 2025 Community News Transformation Grant recipients (J+D Lab blog)
- How might community colleges serve as local news and information hubs in the Southwest (J+D Lab blog)
Previous Opportunities
As of spring 2026, the Community News Transformation Grant program does not have any new opportunities for funding community journalism programs at community colleges in New Mexico. To learn more about previous funding opportunities, visit the 2024-25 program description and call for applications here (for informational purposes only).
Connect With Us
Interested in learning more about the Community News Transformation Grant program? Please reach out to Cole Goins, Managing Director, at goinsm@newschool.edu and Valerie Popp, Program Growth + Sustainability Lead, at poppv@newschool.edu.