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Mid-term and final grades are due this week for my undergrad and graduate classes, respectively. That means I've been extra busy lately. So there is no in-depth interview for the newsletter this week. Sorry about that.
But that doesn't mean nothing is happening. Oh contraire mon frere.
I've got some big news.
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Here we go...
The NewStart cohort will be expanding in Year 2!
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That's right, folks! We're going to be able to offer five fully-funded fellowships (including an additional stipend) in the second year of the program AND three additional scholarships. This, of course, will be in addition to other students who wisely choose to enroll in the program.
We'll have more details on this exciting development soon, including how to apply, but we wanted to let you, our valued readers, know first in case you were thinking about joining our program.
Speaking of ... we're still cruising along with our month of NewStart information sessions. There is another one today (Thursday) at noon ET. I'll be joined by current NewStart student Victor Hernandez. Victor is the executive editor for Cascade Public Media. He can give you a sense of what it's like to take part in an accelerated online master's degree program while also running a newsroom full of outstanding journalists.
You can sign up for today's session here.
If you can't make that one, don't fret. There are two more sessions this month.
- 6-7 p.m. ET on Monday, Oct. 19 with NewStart student Becky Pallack (Register Here)
- 8-9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Oct. 27 with NewStart student Tony Baranowski (Register Here)
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Help Fund More Fellows and Scholars!
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While our expansion plans are exciting, we'd still love to provide even more students an opportunity to join our program. And that's where you or your organization can help!
Support by means of a full fellowship or partial scholarship could put a student well on his or her way toward successful ownership, and could help ensure that a community continues to receive the crucial news and information it needs and deserves during these turbulent times.
So if that sounds like something you'd be interested in, let's talk.
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I wanted to share an update on last week's newsletter, where we discussed Patch and a trend of national digital advertisers looking local. Well, I received some great feedback from you all, and from others who you shared that edition with across the country.
I have at least two meetings on the calendar to discuss this topic. So thank you all for the suggestions and observations. I really appreciate it.
I'll share more info as it comes in, and feel free to email me with any other ideas or initiatives you know about.
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I generally tend to stay out of personnel matters, but if the surface-level view of this rings true, well, it's not a good look for this newspaper chain...
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We need more local, independent owners of news outlets across the country. Help us make that happen.
Meanwhile, here's a double shot of ...
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Local news is still relevant, examples Nos. 711 and 888:
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Quick Hits
Now on to the latest news and notes from around the world of local journalism:
NewStart in the News:
"The types of papers that we’re looking at right now, especially in the rural weekly realm—you can purchase one of these for as much as or for less than it costs to buy a house. It’s really a buyer’s market right now."
Learn:
"Tech and philanthropic institutions are giving thousands of $5,000 to $250,000 grants to individual newsrooms, but... then what?"
“Media reports are one of our best and earliest sources of outbreak information,” says Larry Madoff, Editor at ProMED.
"How the family-owned, Black-led Weekly Challenger in Pinellas County, Florida is meeting the reporting needs of its multiracial, multi-ethnic audience."
"In the wake of a global pandemic, an economic downturn and a historic uprising, Black and brown Chicagoans are working to mend the wounds left behind."
"Today we are exploring 3 ways publishers are leveraging hyperlocal news."
This An' 'At:
"For sentimental ink-stained wretches of a certain age, it’s a memento. To readers of The Sacramento Bee looking for cool home projects, it’s an opportunity."
"We have been successful in creating Outlier Media as you know it today: A source of news in Detroit tackling critical issues: tax foreclosure, blight, eviction, utilities, and now even COVID-19 and voting. We get the information directly to those who need it with our SMS-based distribution. But in our work, we haven’t been able to tackle the second part of our mission: the accountability gap. That’s the gap we want to focus on next."
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Thanks!
That's all for this week. Thanks, as always, for reading!
A reminder: Share your success stories! Share your innovations! You can reply to this email, or hit up NewStart on Twitter @wvunewstart, and you can @ me @jimiovino.
Be like the fine folks at the Knight Foundation and the Benedum Foundation! Fund a NewStart fellowship position or a scholarship in Year 2! I'd be happy to talk! Seriously, I would love to offer more fellowships and scholarships, and you can help!
And don't forget, you can find NewStart online at newstart.media.
If someone forwarded this newsletter to you and you want to subscribe, just hit the Subscribe Me button below:
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Thanks again, stay safe, and we'll talk next week.
Jim.
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