New section of INNovation: COVID-19 resources, updates and more
INN and partner organizations are ramping up resources to help nonprofit newsrooms cover the coronavirus and its impacts. These newsrooms are critical sources of coverage and community engagement for millions of Americans, particularly in places where other news outlets have cut back or closed.
A sample of about 60 newsrooms in the INN network report dedicating more than 350 journalists to the coverage. Many news nonprofits are launching online community groups, organizing collaborative coverage with commercial media and managing large gains in readership and viewers.
INNovation will highlight this coverage and coronavirus coverage and business resources each week in a special section of the newsletter. Other news, of course, does go on. Our regular roundup of events, resources and notable coverage from the 250+ newsrooms that are part of this INN network continues below.
Updates to our COVID-19 resource page: Content sharing between members now available, insurance FAQ and more.
Those interested in seeing a more comprehensive look at COVID-19 coverage from nonprofit newsrooms can now do so through Spotlight. We’ve had 12 members sign up for Spotlight in order to share COVID-19 coverage among the INN network — we would love to have more. Any content here can be freely shared by other INN members, so we encourage you to check back often. Learn how to participate on our resource page.
Due to interest last week, INN Labs Office Hours will be extended this week by an hour. It’s now 2-4 p.m. EST with three more slots included.
Here’s everything that INN currently offers. Updates since last week include an FAQ on insurance, philanthropy office hours every Tuesday and Thursdays, a new section on funding to cover COVID-19 and more.
COVID-19 newsroom resources we like this week, from friends of INN
Apply
- American Press Institute created a special dashboard in its analytics tool Metrics for News to help newsrooms assess the impact of their COVID-19 coverage. A limited version of Metrics for News with access to the Coronavirus Dashboard will be available for free with support from API’s team for up to 20 selected newsrooms. Click here to apply by Friday, March 27.
- The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting is seeking proposals that develop innovative approaches to reporting on the novel coronavirus crisis using collaboration among journalists. This grant opportunity is now open, and applications will be reviewed on a first-come, rolling basis.
Use
- The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is outlining recommendations for journalists to ensure the press and public’s right of access to government information and proceedings is protected. Anyone who has updates about government responses to COVID-19 that impact newsgathering rights or public access can submit them to media@rcfp.org.
- Tips on creating sustainable practices for your news organization, from News Revenue Hub.
- In collaboration with Big Local News, The Investigative Reporting Workshop’s Accountability Project Team has added hospital and nursing home data — including hospital location, the number of beds by type, county-level population estimates by age and more — from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
- NewsGuard is a browser extension that shows you trust ratings for 4,000+ news and information sites — written by trained journalists based on nine journalistic criteria. The extension tells you who’s behind each site, how it’s funded, etc. This feature is free until July 1; learn more here.
- Journalism educators: As a service to the journalism education community, Poynter is offering its online catalog free for a limited time to help educators and students affected by COVID-19.
- Here are the journalism and media conferences canceled by coronavirus, from Poynter.
Attend
Learn
- How to build relationships with your community in the time of social distancing.
- How to gain readers’ trust while covering coronavirus, from Trusting News.
- Why Carolina Public Press formed an Emergency News Team, which will investigate and report on a wide variety of known and potential coronavirus impacts on North Carolinians.
INN Days postponed to Sept. 22 - Sept. 23 — registrations will be transferred
INN is postponing INN Days 2020 to September 22-23. This convening will still be held at the Westin Alexandria Old Town in Alexandra, Virginia.
For those of you that have already registered, your registration will be automatically transferred to the new dates. If due to the adjusted dates you can no longer attend INN Days 2020, you can email tasha@inn.org to have your registration fully refunded. If you have already booked your room, your reservation will automatically be cancelled and you will receive a full refund.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and sincerely hope that you attend in September. If you have any questions or concerns you can contact Fran Scarlett at fran@inn.org.
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What are we missing to help you cover COVID-19? Share your needs with us! Journalism foundations, INN and others are tracking needs and looking for resources for you as this develops. Your feedback is, as always, extremely valuable to help us help you.
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Welcome to our four newest INN members!
The Markup is a just-launched national news outlet focused on technology, privacy and data and how people are affected by them. It is led by Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Julia Angwin, known for her work at ProPublica and The Wall Street Journal.
The Sierra Nevada Ally is reporting on environment/science, K-12 education, governance, and arts in Reno, Nevada. Their reporting range is the northern Nevada and Tahoe Sierra area. They are particularly known for their reporting on wildlife and conservation in the state.
Center for Cooperative Media strengthens local journalism through partnerships, collaboration, training, product development, research and communication, especially in New Jersey. Center has supported INN members on several initiatives, including supporting members with Facebook political ad issues. They are joining INN as affiliate members.
Investigative Editing Corps is a new project from Rose Ciotta, a Pulitzer-Prize winning editor. The organization connects experienced investigative editors and producers with local news organizations to help them produce high impact investigative reports of interest to their local communities. They are joining INN as affiliate members.
TrustLaw legal assistance is still available for member newsrooms — take advantage!
Our partnership with TrustLaw, part of the Thomas Reuters Foundation, is still in effect and potentially more helpful than ever. TrustLaw identifies legal matters relevant to your organization and spots issues where legal advice might be needed — including in intellectual property and technology, corporate law, employment and finance. If you missed our webinar last week, watch to learn how your organization can be benefitted and access legal assistance through our Services portal.
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Opportunities & resources
Apply
- Coda Story’s inaugural Bruno Fellowship is a nine-month reporting grant opportunity for an early to mid-career journalist. The Fellowship will fund one ambitious investigative project culminating in a single story or series of impactful stories. Apply by March 29.
Attend
- Career Expo at Columbia Journalism School has gone virtual, and will be free of charge to INN members. The Career Expo is an opportunity to find investigative, watchdog and data journalists for your nonprofit newsrooms. You will be able to interview students remotely on Saturday, March 28, or you can choose alternate dates and times. Columbia Journalism School will set you up with a schedule of students whose interests and skills match what you're looking for. Register for free by entering this discount code, available only to INN members: CJSFree.
Learn
- How three news outlets teamed up to expose how corporations, industry groups and think tanks have influenced laws nationwide by crafting bills that advance their interests and persuading lawmakers to introduce them — and wrote the story that won this year’s Goldsmith Prize.
Have an opportunity to share with INN members? Email news@inn.org.
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In Case You Missed It
- How journalists are working together to cover the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nieman Lab
- Though local news sites are seeing up to a 30% increase in web traffic, local advertiser spending could decline more than $30 million, spelling out trouble for already declining local publishers.
Wall Street Journal
- In order to gain more users, TikTok creators told moderators to suppress posts from users deemed ugly, poor or disabled.
The Intercept
- Google Ads pledged to stop showing ads for items like medical masks a month ago. Because they failed to do so, major news organizations like CNN, The New York Times and more are showing these ads next to their coronavirus coverage.
CNN Business
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Membership News
Celebrating member achievements — Congratulations:
To the staffs of the Arizona Republic, USA Today, and the Center for Public Integrity for winning the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting for "Copy.Paste.Legislate."
To the staffs of Anchorage Daily News / ProPublica and Kaiser Health News for being named finalists for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting.
To Matter News, which was featured in this profile on the rise of nonprofit news around Columbus, Ohio.
To NC Health News Founder Rose Hoban, who will be joining WUNC’s broadcast three times a week to talk about coronavirus coverage from NC Health News.
To ProPublica Illinois reporter Jodi S. Cohen, the Chicago Tribune’s Jennifer Smith Richards and ProPublica Illinois reporting fellow Lakeidra Chavis; their story “The Quiet Rooms” is the winner of the Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics.
To Sahan Journal, which is translating its coronavirus coverage into Spanish, Hmong and Somali — and crediting translators for their contributions.
Stories that change lives: Impact from member reporting:
Hours after Block Club Chicago reported on student financial aid being cut to so-called “distance learners,” the University of Chicago said those who must leave on-campus housing due to coronavirus precautions will now receive “off-campus” status.
Sen. Richard Burr, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, requested a Senate Ethics Committee investigation into his stock trading, a day after ProPublica and the Center for Responsive Politics reported that he had dumped significant amounts of shares before the market crash triggered by the coronavirus outbreak.
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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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
INN Days Sponsorship Manager
Mark Glaser | Email
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