Local Journalism Foundation
The parent nonprofit public charity behind NowKalamazoo, with a new vision for civic media and the role of local journalism.
- NowKalamazooDaily civic news and information
- Civic EngagementPublic education and capacity-building
- Diversifying MediaSupport for new voices and ventures
What it is
The Local Journalism Foundation of Kalamazoo County treats local journalism as public infrastructure, like libraries or parks. It operates NowKalamazoo and runs programs in civic engagement, public education about local government, and widening who gets to make media here.
Why I work on it
A newsroom alone can't fix the conditions upstream of it. If residents don't trust one another, don't know how local decisions get made or don't believe their voice counts, even great journalism goes unread.
The foundation is where we work on that demand side: building the confidence, connection and civic know-how that make local news worth seeking out.
What's different
- An institution, not just a publisher. Journalism is one program among several, organized around a theory of change.
- Civics by doing. We operate programs that grow residents' capacity for participating in local governance and community decision-making, including election forums for voters, workshops on FOIA, and field trips to observe public meetings.
- Widening the bench. Diversifying Media aims to increase representation and inclusion among our local media professionals and supports new local media ventures.
- Accountable to the community. Success means more residents able to take part, and improvement across a range of civic health and community well-being measures.
Check it out!
Local Journalism Foundation lives on its own site. This button takes you there.