SPRINGFIELD, MA (December 18, 2020) New England Public Media is pleased to announce that it has been selected as a Report for America host newsroom partner. NEPM will join an expanding network of more than 200 newsrooms benefiting from the support of this nonprofit program that places talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities. This year, a total of 64 daily and weekly newspapers, digital-only news outlets, radio and television stations from across the nation were selected by RFA.
Through this partnership, NEPM will expand its Equity Desk, which has recently been created to address profound disparities in our region across a spectrum of socio-economic factors with emphasis on environment, gender, health, income and social equity.
NEPM Chief Content Officer Maxie C Jackson is thrilled by the selection and looks forward to bringing NEPM’s RFA journalist on board soon. He notes, “Not just a journalism project, Report For America (RFA) is a mission to diversify and fortify the Fourth Estate. NEPM is honored to have been selected as a host newsroom. The NEPM Newsroom will embrace our RFA Journalist and assign them to the newly conceived Equity Desk — exploring socio-economic disparities across Western New England.”
NEPM’s Equity Desk will stimulate in-depth reporting and robust community engagement resulting in compelling reports that will awaken residents’ need to address inequalities. Through engaged journalism that serves the entire community, NEPM will strengthen its relevance in the regional media landscape.
Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, a nonprofit media organization. It is structured to harness the skills and idealism of an emerging group of journalists plus the creative spirit of local news organizations—like NEPM.
“There is a growing awareness that the crisis in local journalism has everything to do with the crisis in our democracy; but we believe trusted, local journalism breaks down barriers and brings people together. Supporting local news through Report for America is part of the way forward, a way to restore civic engagement and respectful dialogue across the divides in our country,” said Charles Sennott, GroundTruth chief executive officer and co-founder of Report for America. “We can’t wait to work with our newsroom partners and our reporting corps to restore journalism from the ground up.”
ABOUT NEW ENGLAND PUBLIC MEDIA
New England Public Media is a community-supported, independent non-profit organization based in Springfield, MA.Through a deep commitment to independent local journalism, trusted educational content, inspired cultural offerings, and civic engagement, NEPM endeavors to share new voices and inspire new conversations. It provides audiences with a broad array of local and national programs across all media—TV, radio, online, and mobile, including PBS and NPR programs as well as locally produced series, podcasts and specials. Its four digital TV channels, and two radio networks present news, jazz and classical music, documentaries, talk, drama, plus cultural and educational programming.
NEPM brings quality public television programs to audiences across western New England, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs, to hear diverse viewpoints, and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS KIDS helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. NEPM's locally produced television programming includes the magazine-format public affairs show Connecting Point, the bilingual series Presencia, and the academic quiz show As Schools Match Wits. NEPM is available over the air on digital channel 57-1 and on cable throughout western Massachusetts and northwestern Connecticut and can be seen in high definition in western Massachusetts at Comcast 857, Time Warner 1221, Spectrum 782, and over the air on channel 57.
New England Public Media's radio presence provides an essential and trusted voice for the region through local reporting and locally-produced music programming, and by connecting the region to the world through its partnership with NPR and other national and international public media organizations. Its flagship signal, 88.5FM WFCR, and 5 repeating stations in Berkshire County, presents news, jazz, and classical music, while the six stations of the NEPM News Network provide the region with news, talk, and cultural programming 24/7.
ABOUT REPORT FOR AMERICA
Report for America is a national service program that places talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities. Launched in 2017 and donor-financed, Report for America is creating a new, sustainable system that provides Americans with the information they need to improve their communities, hold powerful institutions accountable, and rebuild trust in the media. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, an award-winning nonprofit media organization with an established track record of training and supporting teams of emerging journalists around the world and in the US. Report for America is a MacArthur Foundation “100&Change” finalist, a global competition for a single $100 million grant.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Vanessa Cerillo
Senior Director, Marketing, Communications and Events
New England Public Media
413-735-6605
vanessa_cerillo@nepm.org