Focus Areas include Connecticut Latino and Naugatuck Valley Communities
HARTFORD, Conn. (December 6, 2019) – Connecticut Public is among 164 newsrooms across the country to receive support from Report for America (RFA) for two year-long reporting positions beginning next year. This grant will fund expanded reporting on and for underrepresented communities, including Connecticut’s Latino community as well as the Naugatuck Valley area.
Report for America is a national service program that places talented, emerging journalists into local news organizations to report on under-covered issues and communities. An initiative of The GroundTruth Project, Report for America addresses an urgent need in journalism at a time when news deserts are widening across the country.
“Connecticut Public is committed to expanding our local journalism coverage in the state,” said Connecticut Public’s President and CEO Mark Contreras. “Our viewers, listeners, and supporters turn to us for information and inspiration and with this generous grant from Report for America, we can continue to build our newsroom and remain accountable to our audiences.”
One of the funded reporting positions will focus on issues affecting the Latino community in Connecticut. This RFA reporter will report, capture, and give voice to a community that represents 15% of Connecticut’s population, with the largest number of Latinos residing in Hartford and New Haven. This reporter will also work in tandem with journalists from GFR Media in Puerto Rico – the publisher of El Nuevo Dia, the island’s largest newspaper – to tell stories that chronicle the experiences of Puerto Ricans with ties to both Connecticut and the island. Coverage will also include stories about racial and wealth-based disparities in health, education, and criminal justice, as well as immigration reporting and will be distributed regionally by the New England New Collaborative.
The second RFA position will focus on reporting for the communities of the Naugatuck River Valley. By committing a reporter to this area of the state, Connecticut Public seeks to expand its coverage in a region previously overlooked particularly in radio reporting. The Naugatuck River Valley reporter will connect with residents of the community to cover stories that capture the essence of the Valley and by tackling relevant issues related to work and the aging labor force such as the impact on blue collar workers as the state, known for its industry, rapidly evolves into high-tech businesses.
About Connecticut Public
Connecticut Public is home to Connecticut Public Television (CPTV, Spirit, Create) and Connecticut Public Radio (WNPR), as well as Connecticut Public Learning. Together, Connecticut Public serves nearly one million citizens each month through Connecticut Public Radio and Connecticut Public Television, as well as through our many digital and online platforms. Connecticut Public is also home to Connecticut Public Learning, which offers direct service education to teens, adults and veterans in digital media; and provides educational programming on television, radio and online and in the classroom. Through our mission to inform, educate and inspire the people of Connecticut, we connect people of all ages to high quality journalism, storytelling, education and experiences, and amplify the voices of our diverse communities. Connecticut Public is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, with an $20 million annual budget, funded primarily through community support from individuals, foundations and corporate sponsors.