For more information, contact:
Lisa Goss, Communications Specialist, 216/916-6134
February 18, 2016 (Cleveland, OH) – The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has awarded more than $356,000 to three public media organizations to establish the Great Lakes Regional Journalism Collaborative (RJC), focused on the health and economic importance of the region’s freshwater resource. The two-year grant will support original, in-depth reporting across multiple platforms though a partnership led by WNED | WBFO Buffalo-Toronto, WXXI, Rochester and ideastream, Cleveland.
The Great Lakes RJC will provide important content to the communities served by the participating stations while engaging audiences through radio reporting and digital platforms. The CPB grant will support the creation of reporting positions at the three partner media outlets for two years, with the goal of station support continuing well into the future.
“The Great Lakes are a tremendous natural resource as well as a significant economic force for surrounding communities. This journalism collaboration will allow public media to cover this important topic with the depth and breadth it deserves,” said Bruce Theriault, CPB senior vice president, journalism and radio.
“The Great Lakes region incorporates much of the historic, cultural and economic story of North America,” said Donald K. Boswell, president and CEO of WNED | WBFO. “By working together, we will create original and enterprise journalism that will impact not only the Great Lakes region, but the country as well.”
WNED | WBFO will lead the news operation with partner stations WXXI in Rochester, N.Y. and ideastream in Cleveland, Ohio. Great Lakes RJC staff includes: a managing editor; three reporters; digital media producer; and project coordinator/facilitator. The team of journalists will produce stories for partner stations, other Great Lakes public media outlets, and national public media partners such as National Public Radio.
The collaboration will produce spot news stories, features and interviews, but the focus of the reporting will be on long-form reports, enterprise reporting and multi-part series. More than 60 public radio and television stations in the Great Lakes region will be invited to become contributors to the Great Lakes RJC. This synergistic approach will greatly expand and diversify the stories presented by the Great Lakes RJC.
For more information on the partner stations, visit their websites: WNED | WBFO, WXXI and ideastream.
About WNED ǀ WBFO
Through WBFO-FM 88.7, WNED-TV, ThinkBright and Well/WORLD TV and Classical 94.5 WNED, member-supported WNED ǀ WBFO Buffalo-Toronto provides high quality programming and services to local, regional and national audiences that enlighten, inspire, entertain and educate Western New York and Southern Ontario communities. Additional information about WNED | WBFO can be found at wned.org.
About WXXI
WXXI is the essential, life-long educational media resource for the Greater Rochester area. WXXI puts the community first with programming that stimulates and expands thought, inspires the spirit, opens cultural horizons and promotes understanding of diverse community issues. WXXI also has a long-term affiliation with Little Theatre, which helps enhance the cultural life of the community and strengthens two of Rochester's most vital arts institutions. Log on to wxxi.org for more information about our services and programs.
About ideastream
The mission of ideastream is to strengthen our communities. ideastream pursues this mission as a multiple media public service organization by providing distinctive, thought-provoking programs and services that enlighten, inspire, educate and entertain.
About the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,400 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology and program development for public radio, television and related online services. For more information, visit www.cpb.org .
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