Sustainability Through Philanthropy and Digital Innovation
Local Media Association and the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association recently partnered to present the first statewide Lab for Journalism Funding for publishers in Pennsylvania. The lab helped news organizations develop and execute strategies to fund essential local journalism via philanthropy.
Twelve PNA members were selected for the inaugural class that included large and small newsrooms serving diverse communities across Pennsylvania who are united in their focus on civic journalism. The participating organizations included the Bucks County Herald (Doylestown), Eagle Printing Company (Butler), The Indiana Gazette, The Latrobe Bulletin, The Philadelphia Sunday SUN, PublicSource (Pittsburgh), SPIRIT Media Group, Inc. (Glenolden), TheBurg (Harrisburg), The Daily Collegian (State College), The York Dispatch, Times Leader Media Group (Wilkes-Barre), WITF and The Steinman Institute for Civic Engagement (Harrisburg).
The four-month intensive lab concluded in September 2024. Read more here.
Newsroom Internship Program
The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association (PNA) and the PNA Foundation in partnership with the National Association of Black Journalists Philly (NABJ) and the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation (PBMF) recently launched the PA Newsroom Internship Program.
Student journalists are selected through an application process by the coalition for this newsroom internship opportunity. Selected participants are placed in newsrooms throughout Pa. and receive compensation for 10-12 weeks during the summer months. Interns will have a mentor from NABJ or PBMF to provide support and guidance during the internship in order to make the experience as valuable as possible.
PNA will collaborate with its member news organizations, NABJ and PBMF to match interns with newsrooms based on geography, interests and needs.
The preferred outcome of each internship is the transition to full-time, permanent employment at the news organization. If that is not possible, we believe the high-profile program will make the intern a first-class candidate for positions at other news organizations throughout the commonwealth.
PNA is working in unison with its partners to find funding and sponsors for this worthy effort. If you are interested in supporting this internship program, contact Tanya Henderson at 717-703-3002.
News Media Literacy in the Classroom and Beyond
People have access to myriad forms of news and information across many platforms. It is often difficult for news consumers to determine what is verified fact versus what is intentional falsehood. For our news organizations to be successful, we must operate in a society that is able to distinguish unbiased journalism from slanted rhetoric.
Partnering with Pennon and the News Literacy Project in Washington, D.C., PNA Foundation supports news literacy curriculum in Pennsylvania public schools and offers professional training for teachers and students from experienced journalists and legal experts from across the commonwealth.
If you are interested in this issue and would like to help sponsor or fund these efforts, please contact Tanya Henderson at 717-703-3002.
