Enhancing Public Media’s Digital Journalism Capacity

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting awarded a $1.25 million grant to the Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) to launch Localore, an initiative that will increase public media’s capacity for local news and public affairs journalism.

CPB’s investment will help AIR identify multi-media producers and public radio and television stations to form 10 teams that will develop innovative ways to produce and distribute local news and features. The teams will focus on sharing new and untold stories from their communities. Each project will include elements for on-air radio or television broadcast, as well as online and social media components – such as online streaming, mobile applications or games – all designed to help stations establish new ways to reach and better serve their communities. AIR will serve as executive producer of Localore and will help the station/producer teams conceptualize their topics and approaches, provide on-going editorial guidance, and coordinate collaboration and content sharing. The project will begin with a diverse group of approximately 20 stations from coast-to-coast, with others expected during the six weeks of open call for stations. AIR will share the models created as part of this initiative with other public media producers, stations, and those invested in strengthening public media. In addition, AIR will provide training, create a "bluebook" that documents best practices of the project, and showcase the material generated by the local teams on-line and on-air. AIR is working with Independent Television Service (ITVS), the National Black Programming Consortium and the public media minority consortia to implement Localore.

Additional funders of Localore include the Wyncote Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).