Ohio Local News Initiative
Focus
A network of independent newsrooms in Ohio, launching its first newsroom in Cleveland in 2022
Established
2021
A coalition of Ohio organizations and community leaders, and the American Journalism Project, have partnered to launch a network of independent, community-led, nonprofit newsrooms, starting in Cleveland. Information produced for communities by the Ohio Local News Initiative will be free to access, and is available for republishing. The Cleveland newsroom will work in close partnership with Cleveland Documenters, WOVU, and members of the Neighborhood & Community Media Association of Greater Cleveland, to increase the volume of relevant, original local reporting available to all residents.
People are not engaging. Part of that is because people feel disenfranchised, that their voice doesn’t matter. That’s why local journalism is so critical, because it brings attention to the diversity of stories that are out there, and it validates people’s experiences.”
Victor Ruiz, Executive Director, Esperanza, Cleveland
The Initiative is hiring
The coalition has formed a search committee that is conducting an open search for a founding team.
