Center for Cooperative Media

12/19/2025

Here are our top journalism collaboratives of 2025

PLUS: A Q&A with former NYT editor Dean Baquet

PLUS: A Q&A with former NYT editor Dean Baquet

12/18/2025

🗝️ Newsroom Digest: New digital ad network for NJ publishers, Slice of Culture featured

PLUS: Learn more about NJ News Commons partner, Slice of Culture

PLUS: Learn more about NJ News Commons partner, Slice of Culture

12/18/2025

We're excited to share our annual roundup of the year's most groundbreaking journalism collaborations that are reshaping how we tell important and impactful stories (together).

In 2025, we saw collaborative journalism truly mature beyond one-off investigations into sustained networks that serve communities long-term—from The 89 Percent Project's global climate coverage showing that up to 89% of people want stronger government climate action, to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists' three massive cross-border investigations exposing Syrian atrocities, Chinese transnational repression, and cryptocurrency crime.

What stands out this year is how these partnerships are building real infrastructure: the Immigrant News Coalition secured $1.85 million to stabilize crucial immigrant-serving newsrooms after 150 ethnic media outlets closed since 2020, while the Climate News Task Force united eleven climate-focused newsrooms to enhance collaboration when climate stories still represent less than 1% of major network content.

Local collaborations proved equally powerful, with six Chicago newsrooms documenting federal agents' use of chemical weapons during immigration raids and the Wichita Journalism Collaborative uncovering a 17,000-home shortage through sophisticated data analysis.

Explore these projects and don't forget to sign up for our biweekly collaborative journalism newsletter at collaborativejournalism.org/newsletter in 2026!

Every year, the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University tracks journalism collaborations through its database, the…

12/16/2025

Daily News Roundup: Dec. 16, 2025

Lawmakers move to address abandoned mines after I-80 sinkholes, an op-ed highlights lagging oversight of AI data centers, NJ joins a lawsuit against Uber One, and a $20M AI Hub fund launches.

Alt text: Decoration only.

https://mailchi.mp/njnewscommons/0wgdy7bb7h

12/10/2025

Dean Baquet, executive editor of The New York Times' Local Investigations Fellowship and former top editor of The Times, is training the next generation of investigative reporters through partnerships with local newsrooms nationwide.

The program has delivered significant results in three years: contributing to a 2025 Pulitzer Prize-winning project with The Baltimore Banner and earning 2024 finalist recognition with Mississippi Today. The fellowship currently works with 30-40 reporters across the country.

Baquet says he champions collaboration over competition in modern local journalism. Some fellowship projects publish simultaneously across 15-20 news organizations to maximize impact. The program recently launched Deep South Today, designed to build sustainable investigative operations that continue independently after fellowship support ends.

Read the full interview by Will Fischer.

Dean Baquet is the executive editor of the Local Investigations Fellowship at The New York Times. Baquet previously served as the executive…

12/05/2025

🌐 Journalism collaborations shine at global conference

The winners of the Global Shining Light Awards were announced at the conference. Several collaborations received top honors across categories.

PLUS: A roundup of collaborative work in journalism

12/04/2025

Democracy Day 2025 has uncovered what works in local democracy coverage—and what newsrooms need to do more of it.

The nationwide collaborative journalism project surveyed hundreds of local newsrooms across all 50 states to understand how journalists are responding to threats against democratic principles. The findings offer a clear roadmap for strengthening civic journalism.

Democracy Day is now seeking funding to expand voter guide production, facilitate technology access for newsrooms, and provide coaching on accessibility and community engagement for the 2026 and 2027 election cycles. The goal is to reach underserved communities and cover elections that might otherwise go unreported.

U.S. Democracy Day is a nationwide collaborative journalism project of the Center for Cooperative Media, housed at Montclair State…

12/04/2025

📰 Special report: How journalists responded to democracy under threat

A free press is often understood as a crucial pillar of a healthy, functioning democracy. But what does this actually look like, in practice?

A free press is often understood as a crucial pillar of a healthy, functioning democracy. But what does this actually look like, in practice?

12/04/2025

Jason Strother of Lens15 demonstrates a profound shift in accessibility technology through his "Blindness 101" lesson at Montclair State University. The smartphone has consolidated what once required multiple bulky assistive devices into a single tool that fits in a pocket.

Through firsthand demonstrations at art museums and supermarkets, Strother shows how screen readers like TalkBack and VoiceOver, combined with apps such as Seeing AI, enable people with visual impairments to navigate daily tasks independently. Camera magnification helps with reading. Audio descriptions unlock cultural experiences. Apps connect users with sighted agents for real-time guidance.

The lesson underscores an important reality for media makers and designers: thoughtful accessibility features like ALT text and audio descriptions don't just improve experiences—they open up previously inaccessible parts of daily life.

How people with visual conditions use tech to consume media and navigate the world

12/04/2025

Join this virtual press briefing on 12/9 from 12-1pm EST featuring leaders from NJ's environmental justice communities who are developing innovative solutions to climate challenges.

Community leaders from the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, Center for Environmental Transformation, Friends of Metcalf Park, and Ironbound Community Corporation will share practical approaches to flood prevention, climate adaptation, and community preparedness that prioritize local needs.

Journalists, community organizers, and concerned citizens will learn how frontline communities are building climate resilience and protecting vulnerable neighborhoods from extreme weather. The event includes a panel discussion and Q&A session.

Registration is free, and all attendees receive access to the recording.

Join us on Dec. 9 for a conversation about building safer, more prepared NJ neighborhoods

12/02/2025

✨ It's Giving Newsday — support local journalism in New Jersey

Your donation to these 8 NJ newsrooms can be matched thanks to the NJ Civic Information Consortium.

Your donation to these 8 NJ newsrooms can be matched thanks to the NJ Civic Information Consortium.

12/02/2025

Kleibeel Marcano refuses to let fear silence the communities he serves. The editor of New Jersey's Reporte Hispano newspaper launched his publication in 2006 to fill a critical gap—providing Spanish-language journalism focused on social and civic issues rather than entertainment.

Now, as ICE arrests double and 72% of detainees have no criminal convictions, Marcano's mission has become even more urgent. He continues publishing both print and digital editions to reach readers without internet access and combat misinformation spreading through vulnerable communities.

Despite declining readership, reduced ad revenue, and digital competition, Marcano draws on his Venezuelan journalism background and deep community connections to keep informing and empowering immigrant communities when they need it most. His commitment demonstrates why local ethnic media remains essential during times of crisis.

Reporte Hispano, one of the major Spanish-language newspapers in New Jersey, plans to continue printing to serve the Latino community…