Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 3h

Responsible reporting means telling the stories of those who’ve been harmed—and guiding communities to safe, trustworthy legal help.

rjionline.org/news/when-le...

When legal help becomes harm

When Luis Montellano (name anonymized for safety reasons) got a letter in the mail with a new Social Security number, he felt hopeful. A woman had promised she could fix his immigration status. She…

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RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 22h

RJI Fellowships open Dec 1! Are you ready to apply? rjionline.org/about-rji-fe...

About RJI fellowships

The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute invites proposals from individuals and organizations who wish to partner with us on practical innovative projects for community centered news, journalists…

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RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 1d

. See you at the IPI World Congress and Media Innovation Festival! Set up a 1-1 with our Director of Innovation Kat Duncan Oct 23-25 in Vienna. ipi.media/ipi-world-co...

RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 1d

Excited to share that we are partnering with El Colectivo 506 to build a free, publicly available, training tool that will allow journalists to get personalized feedback on pitches in English, Spanish and Portuguese. rjionline.org/news/were-bu...

We’re building a new bilingual solutions journalism tool

A boost for journalists seeking to develop solutions stories.

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RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 1d

A free bilingual guide to learn to use radio operations in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
rjionline.org/news/introdu...

Introducing ARENA

A free bilingual guide to learn to use radio operations in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

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RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 2d

Mizzou JSchool students! Join us to learn more about our Summer Innovation Fellowships Oct 22 in Palmer! 🍕 🍕 🍕

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RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 2d

“As migrants, we must reclaim our pride in who we are as a people, understand that we come from Indigenous peoples who faced their own struggles and understood the world in different ways, and honor that legacy,” says Bendezú. rjionline.org/news/rooted-...

Migrant Roots Media uproots migration narratives

Roxana Bendezú migrated to the United States for the first time at the age of 14 from Lima, Peru, and later returned at 20. Bendezú is the founder and executive director of Migrant Roots Media, a…

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RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 2d

Deadline is OCTOBER 17! Enter the RJI Student Innovation Competition!

First place prize is $10,000.

Any US based college student/team is welcome to apply. rji.submittable.com/submit/33207...

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RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 3d

Director of Innovation Kat Duncan will see you at the World Congress and Media Innovation Festival! Want to set up a 1-1 to talk fellowships, partnerships or programs? Email her!

RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 3d

Understanding the difference between substance use disorders and addiction rjionline.org/news/underst...

Understanding the difference between substance use disorders and addiction

The distinction is important, but sometimes gets blurred in media coverage.

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RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 4d

Taking the first step: How to explore walking tours for your newsroom rjionline.org/news/taking-...

Taking the first step: How to explore walking tours for your newsroom

Consider these four factors during your first brainstorm.

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RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 4d

Newsrooms should think big when it comes to tours, but start small and leverage product thinking. Separate ideation from execution, to give them both the time they deserve. rjionline.org/news/think-b...

Think big about tours, but start small

Use product thinking to connect with your audience in person.

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RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 4d

Bendezú is the founder and executive director of Migrant Roots Media, a multilingual multimedia platform that seeks to uncover the root causes of global migration through the voices of migrants rjionline.org/news/rooted-...

Migrant Roots Media uproots migration narratives

Roxana Bendezú migrated to the United States for the first time at the age of 14 from Lima, Peru, and later returned at 20. Bendezú is the founder and executive director of Migrant Roots Media, a…

rjionline.org

RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 5d

Immigrants across the U.S. face a confusing legal system where trust is easily abused. Some are tricked by notaries or consultants who falsely claim to be lawyers. rjionline.org/news/when-le...

When legal help becomes harm

When Luis Montellano (name anonymized for safety reasons) got a letter in the mail with a new Social Security number, he felt hopeful. A woman had promised she could fix his immigration status. She…

rjionline.org

RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 5d

For us, a bridge role in a news organization is the responsibility of connecting two (or more) communities or audiences that have unequal access to power and decision-making processes. rjionline.org/news/the-bri...

The bridge role: How newsrooms can connect immigrant communities with decision-makers

We built an editorial product to promote change and connect communities that have unequal access to power.

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RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 5d

And we're off! RJI Fellow Tara Francis Chan is taking us through care and accountability balancing in newsrooms at the Mental Health Journalism Summit

RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 5d

The outlet changed its business model to give journalists a “voice and a vote” rjionline.org/news/how-col...

How Colorado Sun let employees become their own bosses

The outlet changed its business model to give journalists a “voice and a vote.“

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RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 6d

RJI Fellow Claudia Yaujar-Amaro is at Radically Rural this week sharing her amazing work with communities in Kansas. Read more about her work: rjionline.org/person/claud...

RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 6d

Director of Innovation Kat Duncan will be speaking about community centered innovation in journalism at the World Congress. Set up a 1-1 to talk to her about ourfellowships, working with our innovation team or our other programs!

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RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 6d

" We do monthly events, everything from really small, intimate conversations with folks that are very maybe topic specific, or we go out into more rural parts of the state using this model called pop-up newsrooms." rjionline.org/news/creativ...

Creative experiments in fundraising, from shared proceeds to microgiving and countdown clocks

A conversation with Mariko Chang, Honolulu Civil Beat.

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RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 7d

Join us to ask questions about hosting an RJI Student Innovation Fellow in your newsroom this summer! bit.ly/Summer2026Q-A

RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 7d

Building a civic health guide that inspires action and education rjionline.org/news/buildin...

Building a civic health guide that inspires action and education

Lessons learned from creating Sioux Falls 101.

rjionline.org

RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 7d

Enter the RJI Student Innovation Competition! First place prize is $10,000. Any US based college student/team is welcome to apply. rji.submittable.com/submit/33207...

RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 8d

Educating readers, listeners, and viewers about drugs, risks, and their effects — without overstating threats rjionline.org/news/coverin...

Covering the drug supply, risks and trends

Educating readers, listeners, and viewers about drugs, risks, and their effects—without overstating threats

rjionline.org

RJI Innovation Team @innovationrji.bsky.social · 8d

Subscribe to our monthly innovation newsletter to keep up with all our deadlines, programs and opportunities! bit.ly/innovnewsrji