The Collaborative Journalism Network (CJN) is a new initiative that National Public Radio (NPR) has launched to mark the occasion of its 50th anniversary. This effort will bolster the capacity of local and regional journalists, especially those working within communities with limited capacity to support a vibrant press. The CJN will consist of geographic hubs that link station newsrooms. NPR will provide these hubs with staffing, training, and technological resources to bolster their ability to engage in ambitious reporting projects and share their work with national audiences. The first CJN hub has been launched in Texas and a second hub is planned for the Gulf Coast Region, the latter of which will hire reporters to routinely cover critical topics with implications for children and youth of color and children and youth living in poverty within this region. These topics include education, economic development and rural transformation, disparities in health care access, environmental challenges, and criminal justice. The CJN will also contribute resources to boost local reporters’ editorial capacity, including reporting assistance, data analysis, and access to experts in these focal topics.
This award will support National Public Radio Collaborative Journalism Network, an effort to enhance capacity to report on issues affecting children, youth, and families within disadvantaged communities in high-need regions.
