By Pam Grady Published 1:35 pm PDT, Tuesday, August 28, 2018 Neda Rahmanian (left) and Najia Skalli appear in “Looking for Oum Kulthum,” one of the highlights of the Iranian Film Festival in S.F. Neda Rahmanian (left) and Najia Skalli appear in “Looking for Oum Kulthum,” one of the highlights of the Iranian Film Festival in S.F. Photo: Razor Film / Match Factory Photo: Razor Film / Match Factory Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Image 1 of 1 Neda Rahmanian (left) and Najia Skalli appear in “Looking for Oum Kulthum,” one of the highlights of the Iranian Film Festival in S.F. Neda Rahmanian (left) and Najia Skalli appear in “Looking for Oum Kulthum,” one of the highlights of the Iranian Film Festival in S.F. Photo: … [Read more...] about Reel Local News: SF Iranian Film Festival now in its 11th year
Local news
N.J. just became the first state to help revive local news
Sandwiched between the major media markets of New York and Philadelphia, New Jersey has long been the neglected middle child for news coverage. It's only gotten worse with the steady decline of the newspaper industry over the last decade. On Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law that aims to fill the local news void in the Garden State by creating the Civic Information Consortium, a grant making organization led by a group of universities that would fund media start-ups. Supporters have said this is the first endeavor of its kind in the nation. But Murphy's signing statement raised doubt about how much money they state immediately could dedicate to the cause. The legislation called for $5 million from the Trust Fund for the Support of Public Broadcasting, but "far less than $5 million remains available" in the fund, Murphy's statement said. N.J. lawmakers vote to help dwindling local news coverage "I am hopeful that a sufficient amount of funding will be … [Read more...] about N.J. just became the first state to help revive local news
Grumet: Feeling frustrated with the media? Switch off cable TV and turn to local news
Today the American-Statesman’s editorial board joined hundreds of newspapers around the country in standing up for the importance of a free press, particularly as President Donald Trump continues his dangerous rhetoric against journalists. While Trump’s cries of “fake news” ring hollow against the well-sourced reporting about his administration, however, there’s no denying the media sometimes suffers from a troubling credibility gap with the public.A Gallup poll last year found just over a third of Americans (37 percent) believe news organizations “get the facts straight.” That’s a depressingly low metric for people in my industry, and one I think grossly underestimates the painstaking work journalists do everyday. Yes, reporters sometimes make mistakes. But most traditional news organizations strive to correct the record quickly and with transparency. Part of the problem, of course, is the catchall nature of “the media,” a … [Read more...] about Grumet: Feeling frustrated with the media? Switch off cable TV and turn to local news
In the face of ‘fake news’ claims, here’s why local news matters more than ever
Today, more than 200 news organizations across America are accepting the call of the Boston Globe to remind readers that we are not your enemy or purveyors of "fake" news, as some politicians would have you believe. We're joining them, not to defend ourselves or to preach the First Amendment at you, but to remind you we're on the same side, whether we always agree or not. At its best, a local news organization should both reflect its readership and challenge it at the same time. That means by telling the stories of as broad a spectrum of our readership as we possibly can and representing a wide array of viewpoints on the editorial page. And we should also be an advocate for your shared interests. And to that end, we're going to let some of our recent work speak for itself * Harrisburg police reopen cold case killing of former high school sports star (April 2018) A nearly three-decade-old homicide of a high school sports star was reopened in April, spurred by an … [Read more...] about In the face of ‘fake news’ claims, here’s why local news matters more than ever
13 universities to experiment with local news collaboration with $430,000 in funding through the Challenge Fund for Innovation in Journalism Education
10 universities each won $35,000 for fourth round of the challenge; three universities selected from past challenge winners won a grand prize and research prizes /EIN News/ -- WASHINGTON, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Online News Association today announced that 10 universities each won $35,000 microgrants for the fourth round of the Challenge Fund for Innovation in Journalism Education. The fund also awarded a $50,000 grand prize to the University of Nevada, Reno, and research prizes of $15,000 each to San Diego State University and West Virginia University. The projects receiving funding were announced Aug. 8 at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) 2018 Conference. This year’s winning projects include experiments in community data journalism, covering the U.S.-Mexico border and delivering news in rural indigenous communities. The 10 winning universities for this year’s microgrants and their projects include: Emerson … [Read more...] about 13 universities to experiment with local news collaboration with $430,000 in funding through the Challenge Fund for Innovation in Journalism Education