"Write a postcard to someone you know who loves Eudora, even if they may no longer live there," writes RJI student innovation staffer Annie Goodykoontz. "We then mailed them out with the hope of reaching new readers across the nation." rjionline.org/news/driving...

Job opening: The Innovation in Focus Editor at RJI leads short-term experiments and projects with news partners across the country to test innovative ideas, tech and methods of storytelling. To learn more, visit hr.missouri.edu/job-openings and scroll to Staff Positions. Search for job ID 59029.

The Innovation in Focus team will share key takeaways from engagement experiments conducted with @comissourian.bsky.social and Eudora Times. These projects explored creative methods to foster deeper connections between local newsrooms and their communities. Join us: umsystem.zoom.us/meeting/regi....

Join @theopennotebook.bsky.social's Rachel Zamzow and Kate Fishman for hands-on training on how to use the Science Reporting Navigator to bring science into your everyday reporting. 6 p.m. ET Friday, March 27. Registration is free and open to all: go.spj.org/event-regist....

The Innovation in Focus experiments lasted just two-weeks, but the results were immediate. Some teams brought in between $1,500 and $5,000 in new revenue while others gained valuable insight into which messages don’t resonate with their supporters.

RJI is partnering with Open Vallejo to build a resource that creates alerts based on info from police scanners. The new tool would mitigate constant human monitoring while also being user-friendly and accessible. Help us make it useful and accessible. Take the survey: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

I honestly can't think of a better place to be home to @newsmediahelpdesk.org. We're located at @rjionline.bsky.social and work with students at @mujschool.bsky.social. Here's Editor & Publisher's write-up on our free resource designed to help news publishers.

"There wasn’t a resource that put all the information for news publishers to get help with this challenge," said @leahbecerra.com, project director of the @newsmediahelpdesk.org. "So that’s kind of where the idea started.”

The Innovation in Focus Editor at the Reynolds Journalism Institute leads short-term experiments and projects with news partners across the country to test innovative ideas, tech and methods of storytelling. To learn more, click the link below and scroll to Staff Positions. Search for job ID 59029.

The Pivot Fund pairs funding with wrap-around services, such as coaching, developing strategies for building audience trust, and selecting publishing platforms and CMS tools — and advocates for rethinking how journalism itself is designed, defined and supported. Story by RJI Fellow Monica Williams.

RJI Fellow Cara Kuhlman, in partnership with ONA, will conduct a workshop on April 16 to help newsrooms launch community-focused walking tours. The session covers the strategy behind utilizing tours for storytelling and revenue generation, based on her RJI project, "A Tour Guide for Journalists."

Marie D. De Jesús, director of Pictures of the Year, will participate in a panel this weekend at SXSW focusing on the critical need for transparency in visual storytelling. "When the authenticity of images can no longer be assumed, transparency becomes essential," said De Jesús.

RJI is partnering with Open Vallejo to create a resource that creates alerts based on info from police scanners. The goal is to build a tool that mitigates constant human monitoring while also being user-friendly and accessible. Help us better understand how to build this tool: bit.ly/ScannerSurvey.

I didn’t make many True/False films this years, but for the best of reasons: Two days spent with the talented young culture writers of @rjionline.bsky.social, thanks to @rjritzel.bsky.social. I taught what I’ve learned, and took in as much of their hope as I could hold. The future looks bright.

The proposed FAA Part 108 rule, which establishes a standardized framework for Beyond Visual Line of Sight drone operations, will reshape the U.S. airspace system. Public perception is mixed, writes Dominick Lee.

Innovation in Focus' Ishrat Madiha spoke with Gabrielle Contesti to learn how NowKalamazoo uses creative in-person strategies to deepen community ties and media literacy. Contesti also shares how other small newsrooms can replicate these efforts.

The 2025-26 RJI Fellows will present their projects at 11 a.m. CT Thursday, March 5, on Zoom. Watch demos of each Fellow's resource and ask questions. These tools, programs and platforms were built to address a current need in journalism. Register today: umsystem.zoom.us/webinar/regi....

Introducing Audacity Media Lab, which provides a framework and toolkit for journalists to produce impact-driven stories that address real-world community problems through a theory-of-change model. The tools and resources were developed by RJI Fellows Nicole Lewis and @lamthuyvo.bsky.social.

RJI Fellow Tara Francis Chan has launched Powering News, a free resource hub designed for cooperative, staff-run nonprofit and democratic newsrooms. The project features the first national survey-based database of 35-plus worker-friendly newsrooms. rjionline.org/news/announc...

RJI Fellow Cara Kuhlman created "A Tour Guide for Journalists," a free resource for local and independent journalists ready to take their storytelling outside. The guide covers everything from why walking tours work as a journalism strategy to how to plan, launch and measure your first pilot.

Introducing RJI Fellow Monica Williams' Grants for Journalists, a database curating funding opportunities for journalists and newsrooms. Here's how to use the site: rjionline.org/news/introdu....

Covering Immigration: RJI Fellow Claudia Yaujar-Amaro built a free, bilingual toolkit that gives any journalist or newsroom in the U.S. access to legal glossaries, verification frameworks and ethical reporting guides. rjionline.org/news/coverin...

For one week, journalism students create or expand on each newsroom's digital strategies and provide training on key tools, with particular focus this year on incorporating AI to streamline processes without creating content.

"Enter/Exit: Trauma-Informed Praxis for Visual Journalism" includes "essays, interviews, case studies and creative contributions exploring topics such as informed consent, trauma and body language, anonymous portraiture, and more," write RJI Fellows Sarah Blesener and Jennifer Jacklin-Stratton.

Four international graduate students from @mujschool.bsky.social have been selected as 2026 RJI Student Innovation Fellows. This summer, each Fellow will spend 12 weeks helping a news outlet create or expand upon innovative projects that address a particular need in community journalism.

What separates a "good" grant application from a "great" one? RJI Fellow Monica Williams asked the people who actually make the final decision.

"With more than 1 million registered drones in the U.S. since the end of 2024, the implications of a total ban would be seen as devastating to the multiple industries that have adopted and been revolutionized by DJI drones," writes Dom Lee, professor of drone journalism at @mujschool.bsky.social.

RJI Fellow Cara Kuhlman, who’ll publish "A Tour Guide for Journalists" in March, recommends four city locations – found in cities across the U.S. – where news organizations can focus their coverage.

"Rather than guessing what resonates with readers," writes Steve Baragona, "the platform provides real-time analytics that help editors and reporters understand their audience and adjust coverage accordingly — turning hunches into actionable intelligence." Via @newsmediahelpdesk.org

Innovation in Focus' Ishrat Madiha recently spoke with Jenna Spinelle and Brandon Stover, who created a curated list of podcast episodes educators could use in their classrooms. Here's their advice to educators who struggle with adding podcasts into their curriculums.

Collecting first-party data doesn't have to be boring. Read about how Admiral helped Golf.com collect user data in a way that readers actually enjoy.

Asking key questions when evaluating studies can help improve the quality of reporting about research, writes Susan Stellin, MPH. Here are seven questions to consider when interpreting research about drugs and addiction: rjionline.org/news/evaluat....

RJI and the @localnewsimpact.bsky.social Consortium today launched "Commissioning a Local News Ecosystem Assessment: An Operational Toolkit," a resource to streamline research into the forces and players that shape local news.

Measuring impact is crucial for nonprofit newsrooms to secure funding and demonstrate how their work effects change. Here are four strategies for measuring community impact. By RJI Fellows Nicole Lewis and Lam Thuy Vo. Read on: rjionline.org/news/when-it....

Are you facing more resistance when seeking comment? RJI and SmithGeiger Group are conducting a national study to understand how growing hostility and strategic silence are reshaping journalism and how newsrooms can respond more effectively.

"Because the core values of news professionals and Big Tech oligarchs are so different, you might expect news organizations to stand up against Big Tech at the state legislature," writes Don Marti. "You’d be wrong."

Last chance: Come ask questions about the 2026-27 RJI Professional Innovation Fellowships on Jan. 29. Applications close on Feb. 6, 2026. Register now: umsystem.zoom.us/webinar/regi....

The grant will allow VERDAD to add support for additional languages such as Arabic, Haitian Creole and Vietnamese, making the tool a more comprehensive monitor of non-English radio broadcasts. It will also fund features that enhance usability for journalists and enable real-time fact checking.

No matter the sort of newsroom you’re building, here are seven startup mistakes and how to avoid them. Hint: There's no such thing as the perfect workplace.

A study of 135 US weekly newspaper leaders found that charging for obits is a common practice, but the revenue typically provides only a marginal contribution to overall income. While 88% of surveyed weekly newspapers charge a fee, 80% reported that this accounts for less than 5% of total revenue.

The era of "no comment" is evolving from a simple refusal into a potential manipulative strategy. To understand how this shift impacts journalistic credibility and public perception, RJI and SmithGeiger today launched a landmark national survey.

Which types of projects are you interested in reading about or partnering on next? Here are two ways to let us know: (1) Join us for our next Community Call on Tuesday, Jan. 21: bit.ly/IIF-January. (2) Complete our online survey: bit.ly/IIF-survey26. Thank you for your time and feedback.

Luz is a free chatbot that helps journalists develop solutions journalism ideas in English, Portuguese and Spanish. Built by RJI and @elcolectivo506.bsky.social, Luz also connects journalists with resources for further learning about solutions journalism. Read on: rjionline.org/news/introdu....

Pictures of the Year entry deadline extended to Jan. 18. Learn more and submit entries: poy.org. #Photojournalism #Photography

RJI Fellow Cara Kuhlman is building a digital guidebook to help newsrooms engage in walking tours as a medium for local journalism. She toured the Big Apple with Augustin Pasquet, CEO of Untapped New York, to learn more about Untapped's tour operations. Read on: rjionline.org/news/a-light...

Luz is a free and publicly available chatbot that helps journalists develop solutions journalism ideas in English, Portuguese and Spanish. Built by RJI and @elcolectivo506.bsky.social, Luz also connects journalists with resources for further learning about solutions journalism.

New today: Here’s how The Post and Courier (@postandcourier.bsky.social) used sophisticated first-party data tools to support its statewide journalism mission — and what your organization can learn from their approach.

"With billions of dollars spent annually on treatment for substance use disorders in the U.S., there’s a lot of opportunity for reporting on the services people receive, and whether this spending ultimately helps them achieve their goals," writes RJI Fellow Susan Stellin.

ICYMI: @rjionline.bsky.social and Local News Impact Consortium are launching a toolkit designed to help funders, civic leaders and newsroom leaders move through the ecosystem assessment process with more confidence and fewer surprises.

Reporting projects can directly combat the hopelessness caused by violence by bringing communities into the reporting process. The Marshall Project used alternative story forms to connect with people at the center of the story. RJI Fellows Nicole Lewis and Lam Thuy Vo explain how.