Reynolds Journalism Institute

12/27/2025

Highlighting RJI’s most-read stories of 2025: How a 4-day newsroom schedule could ease burnout and boost retention.

In March, RJI Senior Strategic Communication Consultant Austin Fitzgerald covered how Mikel Lauber, director of news for three Gray Television stations in Nebraska, has used the four-day work week as a tool to increase job satisfaction (especially for multimedia journalists, who are at particular risk for burnout) while boosting productivity and decreasing overtime use. At Lauber’s newsrooms, the four-day work week has not been a simple gift to employees but a mutually beneficial exchange between staff and newsroom leadership.

Read more about what a bold schedule shift could mean for newsrooms: https://rjionline.org/news/the-four-day-newsroom-how-a-bold-schedule-shift-could-ease-burnout-and-boost-retention/.

12/26/2025

Highlighting RJI’s most-read stories of 2025: Why journalists need a theory of change.

In July, RJI Fellows Nicole Lewis and Lam Thuy Vo wrote on how a simple framework can help journalists decide how to put limited resources to use.

"We’ve seen the power of a clear theory of change firsthand in our own newsrooms. We have worked for corporate outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and Slate to mission-driven newsrooms like The Markup, Documented and The Marshall Project,” Lewis and Vo write. “Each of these experiences has raised important questions about why we do our work, who we want to serve, and how best to tell the stories we report and produce."

Read more about how a theory of change can help newsrooms: https://rjionline.org/news/why-journalists-need-a-theory-of-change/

12/24/2025

Highlighting RJI’s most-read stories of 2025: Taking public meeting notes to TikTok — and making it actionable.

In July, Innovation in Focus Editor Emily Lytle covered how to experiment with vertical video formats for the Documenters program.

While The Green Line has been working with Documenters — paid and trained community members who take notes in public meetings — Managing Editor Yara El Murr says they are continuing to find new ways to make that information more accessible. Part of that strategy has been experimenting with short-form videos based on the Documenters’ notes.

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/

12/24/2025

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.

December 23, 2025 News RJI in 2025: The year in review Austin Fitzgerald 2025 at RJI has been a year of bringing people together to address the many challenges and changes facing the industry. As competitive as journalists can be, the future of news is not a race; it’s a collective effort to suppo...

12/18/2025

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

December 17, 2025 RJI Partnerships Innovation News This year we launched 16 short-term experiments with newsrooms across the country Emily Lytle Innovation in Focus From personal ads to web scraping and revenue streams; here’s what we learned When we begin projects for our Innovation in Focus seri...

12/17/2025

"Drone light shows are here to stay," writes Dominick Lee. "Many Part 107 commercial drone pilots are going to get the chance to fly near them to capture an amazing vantage point.

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

Here's how to plan for covering a light show.

December 17, 2025 Reporting Technology News Sharing the airspace with a drone light show Dominick Lee Night flying regulations are just part of the things you need to plan for to keep you, and others, safe Many drone pilots revel in the chance to fly around their town’s annual 4th of July pyrotech...

12/17/2025

With Press Forward funding, The SHOUT is pioneering stand-alone arts coverage in Wichita, Kansas. RJI Fellow Rebecca Ritzel spoke with co-founders Emily Christensen and Teri Mott.

The SHOUT co-founders Emily Christensen and Teri Mott. Photo courtesy Christensen. December 16, 2025 News Revenue strategies RJI Fellows stories RJI Fellows Class of 2025–2026 In the aviation capital of America, an unexpected art journalism outlet takes flight Rebecca Ritzel RJI Fellows class of 2...

12/17/2025

The inaugural Rural Revenue Transformation Workshop will be held April 12-15, 2026, at RJI at the Missouri School of Journalism. 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 below.

Join us for our inaugural Rural Revenue Transformation Workshop! This event is for news, information and community leaders who are located in and serve rural, low-income and geographically dispersed communities.

12/16/2025

Predictions for Journalism 2026: Each year, Nieman Journalism Lab asks "some of the smartest people in digital media" what they believe is coming in the year ahead.

"Journalism and information can’t serve communities if the organizations producing it cannot sustain themselves," writes Ebony Reed, chief strategy officer at The Marshall Project and former director of innovation at RJI. "Every new idea, every new product, every new distribution channel should come with a simple question attached: Where does the money come from, and does it come from more than one place?"

"Every time our journalism shows up somewhere, we need to ask: What are at least two revenue sources this product or platform could yield?"

12/15/2025

"Media coverage of the challenge of engaging people in care for addictions tends to present two options: voluntary vs. involuntary treatment," writes RJI Fellow Susan Stellin, MPH. "But focusing on this either-or scenario falls into the trap known as a 'false binary' or 'false dichotomy.' ... So 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?”

Photo: Graham MacIndoe December 15, 2025 News Reporting RJI Fellowships RJI Fellows stories RJI Fellows Class of 2025–2026 Resisting false binaries when reporting on the complexities of addiction Susan Stellin RJI Fellows class of 2025–2026 What’s in between forcing people into treatment and w...

12/12/2025

"Ecosystem assessments are genuinely valuable," writes entrepreneurial journalist Ariel Zirulnick. "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."

Photo: Redd Francisco | Unsplash December 12, 2025 Revenue strategies Research News A new resource for taking the guesswork out of ecosystem research Ariel Zirulnick These assessments reveal who is informing communities, where gaps persist, and how resources can be deployed more strategically As inf...

12/11/2025

Predictions for Journalism 2026: Each year, Nieman Journalism Lab asks "some of the smartest people in digital media" what they believe is coming in the year ahead.

"If publishers embrace small language models and open standards, they may regain some control over how local knowledge is collected, delivered, and valued," writes Damon Kiesow, Knight Chair in Journalism Innovation at the Missouri School of Journalism.

"The platforms own the pipes, but publishers can own the intelligence that matters most to our communities."