Celebrating high-impact journalism: The 2019 Best of Nonprofit News is out now
Edward Hawkins watches his class as they take a math test at West Bolivar High School Monday, Oct. 29, 2018. Photo Credit: Eric J. Shelton for Mississippi Today/Report for America
At INN, we love celebrating mission-driven journalism — and our newsrooms give us lots of reasons to celebrate.
Over 230 of our members that produce rigorous public service journalism to elevate diverse voices, inform communities and hold the powerful accountable, have submitted their most powerful stores of the year. The 2019 Best of Nonprofit News collection recognizes stories that would have gone untold if not for the efforts of nonprofit newsrooms.
Take the picture above, for example, submitted by INN member Mississippi Today. In partnership with the Hechinger Report, Mississippi Today spent more than nine months examining the state's critical teacher shortage and community responses to the problem. The results amount to more than observation — During the 2019 legislative session, lawmakers introduced 19 bills to address various aspects of the teacher shortage highlighted in the reporting.
From launched investigations to erased debts to impacts on elections, our members are producing inspirational work with high impact. As we enter the season of giving, take a moment to give thanks for civic-minded journalism — and consider supporting a civic-minded society by donating to your favorite newsroom through NewsMatch.
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Opportunities & resources
From INN & members:
Sign up to help national reporting on U-visas
Is your police department putting up additional barriers for immigrants seeking a U visa? Sign up for Reveal's U-Visa Reporting Network, and you’ll get a set of resources that will help you dig into this issue in your community.
Apply to join the Local Newsroom Revenue Project
The Solutions Journalism Network is launching the Local Newsroom Revenue Project, a pilot supported by the Google News Initiative, to help build trust with the public and establish new business models. The project, which will run until March 2021, will help newsrooms do high-quality, solutions journalism stories and series, and use this journalism to raise revenue. Ten newsrooms will receive small grants (up to a total of $10,000) to support solutions journalism projects and business experiments built around that journalism. Apply by Nov. 30.
From our friends outside of INN:
Apply to free access to public opinion surveys
Between now and the 2020 election, the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research will waive the cost of a one-year membership for small independent news organizations, providing free access to more than 720,000 public opinion survey questions from 1935 to today. Learn more here and email to apply for access.
Watch webinar recording: Facilitating civic engagement with pop-up programming
In this webinar, available on-demand, two members of the Civic Lab team discuss strategies in developing civic literacy opportunities across multiple departments and the four types of pop-up events that make up the majority of Civic Lab appearances.
Student journalists: Apply for ONA board
For newsrooms working with students: The ONA Board of Directors is looking for a student representative to help include students' perspectives in initiatives. The two-year term starts on Jan. 1, 2020. Apply by Nov. 14.
Register for upcoming 2020 Disinformation Emergency training
First Draft and the Colorado Media Project are hosting a state-of-the-art "disinformation emergency" training on Nov. 17 and Nov. 18 that's designed to help news organization mitigate the threat disinformation poses. Register here.
Register for Facebook Civic Forum: Looking Ahead to 2020
Facebook is holding a free elections event in its New York office on Nov. 18 and will feature speakers from their policy and consumer marketing teams. They will also have presentations from CrowdTangle, Instagram and their third-party fact checking teams. If your organization is nearby, (NYC, Philly, NJ, DC or CT) and has the time to travel, please RSVP as soon as possible.
Upcoming public records and beat reporting webinar
The Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing is offering a free webinar — "Become a better business reporter: Learn how to make public records part of your beat reporting" — on Nov. 18. Matt Drange, an investigative reporter at The Information, will "show you how to harness state and federal FOI laws to generate a consistent flow of documents you can use on any beat."
Upcoming NYC panel on single-subject nonprofit newsrooms
New Food Economy has put together a panel at the Columbia J-School on Nov. 20 focusing particularly on the opportunities and challenges of single-subject nonprofit newsrooms. Journalism students, nonprofit journalists and funders interested in the field are more than welcome to attend. Other INN members in attendance include Documented, The Trace, The Hechinger Report and more.
Apply to Columbia's local news executive leadership fellowship program
The Columbia J-School is offering three fellowships for local news executives interested in the Sulzberger Executive Leadership Program. The fellowships cover full tuition and fees. Deadline to apply is Monday, Dec. 2.
Register for upcoming webinar on the state of trust in local news
Local news organizations are facing a daunting financial future. In this era of waning trust and financial support, what are the prospects for sustaining this fundamental democratic institution? Register for a Dec. 5 webinar, during which the findings from the latest John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Gallup news studies will be discussed.
Apply to join the Women in Journalism Workshop
The Women in Journalism Workshop at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute is an annual workshop that focuses on challenges, accomplishments and issues specific to women in the journalism industry today. We want to help build safer, more diverse and innovative newsrooms to serve our communities worldwide. This year's workshop will be May 1 to May 3, 2020. Apply by Dec. 15.
Have an opportunity to share with INN members? Email news@inn.org.
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In Case You Missed It
- How to build a loyal audience: What 11 local Canadian publishers found worked for them.
Facebook Accelerator Program
- A guide to understanding your community’s news and information ecosystem.
Democracy Fund
- From INN member Science News, a guide to how they "do science journalism," from fact-checking to sources and editorial coverage.
Science News
- Nine years after its founding, The Global Editors Network — the worldwide association of editors-in-chief and senior news executives — will shut down due to lack of sustainable finances.
Global Editors Network
- "I wish newsroom leaders cared more about what their communities thought about them than what other journalists think of them.” What changes do we need to make in journalism leadership?
OpenNews
- Reveal recently disclosed it has been fighting a lawsuit for three years, defending a story. It's just one of many SLAPP suits recently.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
- The Society of Professional Journalists and 28 other journalism and open government groups sent a letter last week to every member of Congress calling for support of unimpeded communication with journalists for all federal employees.
Society for Professional Journalists
- Social media can help users learn new things, connect with friends and more — but it also can escalate tension, encourage wasted time and more, a new study finds.
Center for Media Engagement
- Hearst staffers unionized across its 24 properties, forming the Writers Guild of America East. The move make the union one of the largest editorial units in the media industry.
The Daily Beast
- In Quebec, where when a local newspaper seemed fated to disappear, its owners instead donated it to a newly formed community foundation.
Nieman Lab
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Membership News
Celebrating member achievements — Congratulations:
To Eye on Ohio for their wins at the The Press Club of Cleveland’s All Ohio Excellence in Journalism contest.
To Adam Linehan, a 2019 War Horse Fellow, whose story on guilt and being a veteran was published in the New York Times Magazine for Veterans Day.
To Niki Turner, editor of The Rio Blanco Herald Times, and Susan Greene, editor of Colorado Independent, for their newly published collaboration, "Through the Cracks."
To Futuro Media Group's Antonia Scare-ijido for being honored with the inaugural Cecilia Vaisman Award from the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications.
To inewsource for their 16 awards from San Diego Press Club.
To Voice of OC Senior Arts Editor Paul Hodgins, who's a two-time finalist in the 12th annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.
To National Parks Traveler, was been recognized by the Western National Parks Association with its 2019 Stewart L. Udall Award.
To Grist and Anthropocene, which were both named winners of Eddie & Ozzie Awards.
To Charlottesville Tomorrow’s education reporter Billy Jean Louis, who has been selected to be part of the Education Writers Association’s New to the Beat Program.
To the second round of Newspack participants from INN:
- Bay City News Foundation
- Berkelyside
- Carolina Public Press
- inewsource
- MLK50
- Montana Free Press
- Sahan Journal
- The Daily Yonder
- Wausau Pilot & Review
Member Impact:
- The California Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit challenging inewsource’s lease with San Diego State University, bringing to a close a four-year legal battle that inewsource’s editor contends was in retaliation for its investigations of attorney Cory Briggs, now running for San Diego city attorney.
- After his case was featured in Injustice Watch series, Unrequited Innocence, two appellate judges ordered Oklahoma inmate Karl Allen Fontenot, originally sentenced to die after he was convicted of a 1984 murder, to be released on bond next month.
- Once riddled with problems, an apartment complex in Chicago's Humboldt Park built to help and house veterans has made a dramatic turnaround following a Block Club Chicago investigation.
- About 24 people rallied on the steps of the statehouse in Topeka, Kansas, calling on lawmakers to bring more accountability to the Kansas Department for Children and Families. This comes after reporting from KCUR and the Topeka Capital-Journal brought to light the dramatic increase in children added to the state foster care system after former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback reduced aid for poverty programs.
Do you have news to share or want to submit a profile of your nonprofit news organization? Tell us at news@inn.org.
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Upcoming award deadlines
To keep up with journalism awards, download INN’s Google Calendar or view upcoming awards on INN’s calendar. If you know of an award not featured, help us out by submitting here or emailing awards@inn.org.
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INN, Nonprofit News Strategies
Sue Cross | Email | @suecross
Membership
Mara Jezior | Email | @marajezior
Learning + Training
Fran Scarlett | Email
Services & Collaboration
Jonathan Kealing | Email | @JKealing
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Fiscal Sponsorship, Business Services
Chip Potts | Email
Technology
Kay Lima | Email | @kayleen_lima
Development
Larry Horne | Email
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