The Crisis

The collapse of local journalism has created a crisis for democracy. Residents no longer get the information they need to understand the critical issues facing their community, to make good decisions for their family, and hold elected officials accountable.

This problem is not going to be solved by a new phone app or an increase of a few pennies in digital ad rates. It’s time to try something dramatically different.

The Solution

Report for America is a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. An initiative of the nonprofit media organization, The GroundTruth Project, it is structured to harness the skills and idealism of an emerging group of journalists plus the creative spirit of local news organizations.

The Corp

Yvonne Boose covers artistic, cultural, and spiritual expressions. This includes how members of community cultural groups are finding creative and innovative ways to enrich their personal lives through these expressions individually and within the context of their larger communities.

Maria Gardener Lara reports for WNIJ Hola with a focus on keeping families informed on the programs and policies that affect the growing Latino community.

Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco covers the environment includes a sharp focus on water including the quality of rivers and groundwater, and how climate-driven rain and flooding are fundamentally changing the course of life in the region. Additionally Juanpablo can be heard covering stories related to substandard housing and community policing.

These positions are partially funded by a grant from Report for America. WNIJ must raise an the remainder through local matching funds. Support these important voices in our community by donating to WNIJ’s portion here.

Maria, Juanpablo, and Yvonne’s stories from our community will be collected below.