Is your community not engaging with news? Try listening to them first. In August, Nicolás Ríos discussed how Documented uses a circular journalism model focusing on the needs of its communities. More: https://rjionline.org/news/is-your-community-not-engaging-with-news-try-listening-to-them-first/. 

In May, Innovation in Focus Editor Emily Lytle reported on how two-week fundraising experiments can help newsrooms test strategies for increasing revenue and serving audiences. Read more: https://rjionline.org/news/four-ways-to-break-down-large-revenue-goals-into-short-term-experiments/.

In August, RJI Fellow Monica Williams discussed the free tools she’s building that help both independent journalists and newsrooms locate and apply for grants. Read more: https://rjionline.org/news/how-to-find-grant-money-for-your-next-local-reporting-project/. 

Highlighting RJI’s most-read stories of 2025: Why journalists need a theory of change. In July, RJI Fellows Nicole Lewis and Lam Vo wrote on how a simple framework can help journalists decide how to put limited resources to use. Read more: rjionline.org/news/why-jou....

Highlighting RJI’s most read stories of 2025: Taking public meeting notes to TikTok — and making it actionable. Read more about how TikTok can bring civic information to audiences: https://rjionline.org/news/taking-public-meeting-notes-to-tiktok-and-making-it-actionable/. 

From data sonification and the Science Reporting Navigator to the Potter Digital Ambassadors and the News Media Help Desk, this is the year in review.

Revenue strategies. Tools we tried — and liked. Community engagement ideas. Which ones could work in your newsroom next year? /

"What the common pilot needs to understand is there are inherent risks associated with operating in proximity of drone light shows," writes Dominick Lee. "There should be a proper approach to flying safely so that everyone can enjoy the show while avoiding a potential catastrophe."

With Press Forward funding, The SHOUT is pioneering stand-alone arts coverage in Wichita, Kansas. RJI Fellow @rjritzel.bsky.social spoke with co-founders Emily Christensen and Teri Mott. rjionline.org/news/in-the-...

The inaugural Rural Revenue Transformation Workshop will be held April 12-15, 2026, at RJI. The event is for news, information and community leaders who are located in and serve rural, low-income and geographically dispersed communities. Learn more and apply: rjionline.org/rural-revenu....

@amediaoperator.com speaks with @damon.kiesow.net, Knight Chair in Journalism Innovation, about the newest professional discipline in the news industry. Kiesow "literally wrote the book on news product management," writes Bron Maher. #MissouriMethod #MizzouMade

"What’s in between forcing people into treatment and waiting for them to choose to get help for a drug or alcohol problem — both of which have many downsides?" asks RJI Fellow Susan Stellin. rjionline.org/news/resisti...

"Ecosystem assessments are genuinely valuable. They help you understand who’s producing news in your community, what gaps exist, where collaboration opportunities lie, and how to deploy resources strategically. When done well, they can kickstart transformative work."

How does Jake Hylton raise hundreds of thousands of dollars and make Lookout Publications a model for fundraising success among others in the industry?

When making decisions in a news organization, it can be better to ditch consensus and focus more on consent. RJI Fellow Tara Francis Chan offers journalists five different decision-making approaches that news organizations can adopt to help make better choices and move projects forward.

The News Media Help Desk is a centralized hub to provide local newsrooms with access to essential resources, expert assistance and fractional services, all with the goal of local newsroom sustainability in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Learn more: rjionline.org/news/introdu....

The same internet that gives rise to dystopian narratives has the tools to beat Big Tech’s economic takeover. The internet may pose challenges that threaten journalism and advertising, but Don Marti believes that this technology can reduce existential threats to fixable problems.

Five Questions with Se Habla Media: RJI Fellow Claudia Yaujar-Amaro spoke with Jaime Méndez and Diana Oliveros Martinez, who discuss their editorial approach, how they fight misinformation and how they balance difficult news with stories of resilience and hope. Read: rjionline.org/news/service....

RJI Product Director Leah Becerra is excited to announce that News Media Help Desk will launch on Dec. 10. The Help Desk addresses the digital needs of local media news outlets as they work to stay sustainable. Sign up for their monthly newsletter list here: mailchi.mp/newsmediahel....

Seven aftercare practices shared by photographers and visual journalists

RJI Fellows Nicole Lewis and Lam Vo are using a needs assessment and theory of change to inform and empower the Vietnamese community in the U.S. about misinformation.

Journalists-turned-tour-guides can benefit from learning how their tours are, and are not, like tourism and live events. RJI Fellow Cara Kuhlman breaks down how the audiences, content and outcomes for journalism-focused tours crosses paths with these two industries. rjionline.org/news/how-sha...

RJI Professional Innovation Fellowship applications are now open. RJI Fellows build, test and launch a practical and innovative resource for journalists and community-centered news organizations. Applications close Feb. 6, 2026. Learn more: rjionline.org/about-rji-fe...

"While AI job loss fears are still hypothetical for most occupations, the Big Tech companies are already pretty far along on squeezing jobs — and smaller companies — out of advertising," writes strategist Don Marti. Read on: rjionline.org/news/big-tec....

Nontraditional newsrooms — where journalists have the ability to make critical business decisions — have responded in creative and sacrificial ways in order to prevent layoffs in their newsrooms, writes RJI Fellow Tara Francis Chan. Here are a few examples: rjionline.org/news/newsroo....

RJI is looking for beta testers for Luz, a new solutions journalism pitchbot built with El Colectivo 506. Luz will help journalists transform a regular news pitch into a solutions journalism pitch, and speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese. Sign up here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

RJI Fellow Rebecca Ritzel shared the beta version of her Arts Journalism Initiative with Missouri School of Journalism faculty yesterday at RJI. Read more about Ritzel's work at RJI: rjionline.org/person/rebec...

How can journalists help people make informed decisions about their drinking levels? RJI Fellow Susan Stellin gives six suggestions for journalists to accurately report on alcohol consumption and provide resources to readers.

"There is no better time than now for this generation of journalists to embark on a mission in the skies and discover how drones are continually changing the world," writes Dominick Lee, The Drone Professor. #DroneJournalism

The future — and present — of journalism is collaborative, not competitive. RJI Fellow Monica Williams believes journalists working together, rather than against each other, may be the key for sustainability. Read more about collaboration in news and fundraising. rjionline.org/news/want-fi...

1/2 For newsrooms building user-friendly resource directories, utilizing online tools makes scraping websites and inputting info a more efficient process. This was the goal of The Haitian Times as it creates a directory of Haitian organizations across the U.S. to connect Haitian community members.

"Saving the news business is harder than it looks, because the news crisis is part of a bigger trust crisis," write Don Marti. "But on the other hand, the bigger crisis means that news organizations are an indispensable ally for many other players."

At @outliermedia.org, Sarah Alvarez learned that making an impact for low-income Detroiters meant reporting on complex problems and not letting up. Nicole Lewis and Lam Vo spoke with Alvarez about how journalists can approach impact-driven coverage of seemingly intractable social & economic issues.

Three takeaways from Cara Kuhlman's second year of Future Tide's free walking tours: minimalist marketing, a new tip jar and more participants. Kuhlman had three key goals for the 2025 tours. Did she reach them?

inewsource used interactive mapping to highlight community assets and identify potential partners for events and trainings. Here's how. rjionline.org/news/going-b...

Jared Schroeder writes about a new RJI resource that tracks state-level legislation aimed at reversing the decline of local journalism. "The efforts, particularly to those who are concerned about government interventions into journalistic independence, are surprisingly innovative."

Nonprofit @trustingnews.bsky.social offers guidance on ethical AI use, disclosure policies and community engagement to strengthen public confidence. Trusting News was incubated as a project at RJI in 2016. Via Editor & Publisher. www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/ai-t...

For my project @rjionline.bsky.social project, I am doing a roll call for local arts news outlets. So places like @racketmn.com, @bmoreart.bsky.social rt.bsky.social, @theshout.shoutwichita.com.ap.brid.gy (And others not on Blue Sky.) Can anyone help add to the list? 🙏

RJI Innovation in Focus' Taylor Bowman sat down with Kait Guild and Michael Lawler from Mobile Health Map to learn how their work tracking local health resources to identify community issues can help journalists build trust and relationships with their audiences. rjionline.org/news/how-com...

Two @mujschool.bsky.social students — Taylor Bowman and Ishrat Madiha — are working with organizations across the U.S. to implement new strategies and techniques in journalism. Both are student staffers with RJI Innovation in Focus. rjionline.org/news/rji-inn...

(1/1) Applications close Nov. 7 for news orgs wishing to participate in 2026 RJI Student Innovation Fellowships. RJI's Emily Lytle (photo 1) conducted a Q&A yesterday at RJI for @mujschool.bsky.social students who are interested in applying for next summer. Their deadline is also Nov. 7.

Journalists on any beat: Do you want to confidently incorporate scientific evidence, perspectives, or context into your reporting? Join @theopennotebook.bsky.social and @rjionline.bsky.social for a webinar introducing the Science Reporting Navigator Thurs, Oct 23 at 2pm CT! bit.ly/NavigatorLaunch.

The next Community Conversation explores RJI's partnership with @elcolectivo506.bsky.social to build a solutions journalism pitchbot. Learn about the project, sign up to be a beta tester and ask questions. Register: umsystem.zoom.us/meeting/regi....

"More states are proposing advertising set-aside bills because they offer a quick fix. They do not seek new funding but redirect dollars governments already spend. ..." rjionline.org/news/ad-doll...

The 2026 competition's focus: news influencers. Learn more and enter: rjionline.org/studentinnov....

RJI Fellow Monica Williams speaks with Planet Detroit founder Nina Ignaczak, who shares lessons from her six-year journey of building a nonprofit newsroom. rjionline.org/news/establi...

As the Reynolds Chair in Journalism Strategy and Business Operations at @mujschool.bsky.social, Karen Brophy will also partner with RJI to experiment with tools and strategies for the benefit of both the J-School's Missouri News Network and the wider industry. journalism.missouri.edu/2025/10/kare...

The 2024-2025 RJI Fellows are helping journalists and newsrooms implement new tools to meet vital challenges and gaps in the news industry. Check out their new resources and learn how to apply them in your newsroom. rjionline.org/news/how-the...

RJI and El Colectivo 506 are building a new bilingual solutions journalism tool. Here's how it'll be a boost for journalists seeking to develop solutions stories. rjionline.org/news/were-bu...

RJI Fellow @rjritzel.bsky.social meets with @mujschool.bsky.social students Kat Ramkumar and Kayla Sydnor to discuss her Arts Journalism Initiative on Oct. 7 in Columbia, Mo. The students are creating a database of arts agency grants that support journalists. More: rjionline.org/person/rebec....