2010 Grantees
The 2010 New Voices grantees were chosen from XXX applicants from across the country. These projects represent a diverse mix of Web, broadcast and print projects. J-Lab believes that these programs will serve as examples to foster community journalism efforts in other cities and towns.
Portland, OR
In a unique collaboration with Portland-area performing arts groups, seasoned culture reporter Barry Johnson will produce an arts news site, funded in part by subscription membership fees.
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Lincoln, NE
Lincoln, Neb., has witnessed 24 percent growth in ethnic minorities and immigrants in recent years. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Journalism College will explore the information needs of these new ethnic communities and work with mobile technology and web design teams to develop a news initiative to reach them. Content will come from students, community members and high school students from immigrant families. Future support is expected from the university and foundation grants.
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East Hardwick, VT
This news start-up covering Vermont plans to build a crowdsourcing platform called Tipster to help develop stories. Using Tipster, readers and reporters will collaborate and exchange information to build in-depth reports. Future support is expected from business and college sponsorships.
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Charlotte, NC
A former Charlotte Observer journalist will spearhead a news and information website about a community-driven environmental makeover of the endangered Catawba River District near Charlotte, N.C. Content will come from volunteers, freelancers, and involved groups such as the local parks and recreation department, agricultural extension service and the energy company. Future support is expected from federal environmental sustainability grants, and a fee-based certification program to acknowledge energy-efficient construction and environmentally protective landscaping.
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Newark, NJ
In the first New Voices project at a community college, Essex County College in Newark, NJ, operates a year-round news operation to report on issues in the state's largest city. Journalism students develop and maintain their website, using mobile and social media tools, and the college conducts, for a fee, training workshops to help community residents contribute. Local advertising and grants help support the project. Content is aired on local radio stations and the school's educational access channel and offered to other local media.
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San Jose, CA
A former Mercury News journalist will build a San Jose community news site on the framework of the 10-year-old Strong Neighborhoods Initiative. She will train residents in each of the 19 improvement areas to contribute stories, videos and photos. She will also offer breaking news about projects and City Hall decisions that affect neighborhoods. Future support will be sought from foundations, advertising and the local university.
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Princeton, NJ
Plans for a news hub for Princeton Borough and Township will first focus on public meetings, schools and development issues and then expand to include social, cultural and commercial areas. Donna Liu, a former CNN producer who founded an online news channel at Princeton University will lead the project, based at Princeton Community TV. Future support will be sought from community-based sponsors and advertising.
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Baltimore, MD
Students at Baltimore's historically black Morgan State University will serve as mobile digital journalists, using video and audio podcasts to focus on community issues in Northeast Baltimore. The university will also conduct, for a fee, training workshops to help community residents contribute. Content will be offered to local newspaper and television stations.
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Landings: Celebrating Fishing Heritage, Informing on Fishing Changes
Rockland, ME
The Maine Lobstermen's Association will hire freelance writers and work with students, bloggers, state officials and readers to cover Maine's hard-hit fishing communities. The site will provide updates for the state's six coastal regions on such issues as conservation efforts, new regulations, lobster prices and bait and fuel costs. The project will seek to sustain itself from donors, business members and advertisers.
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See previous grantees: 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005
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New Voices is an initiative of J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism. 