The School of Journalism has been awarded a $100,000 grant by Press Forward, a nationwide movement to strengthen local communities by reinvigorating local news.
The grant, which was written by journalism professors Meg Heckman, Matt Carroll and Jonathan Kaufman, will help support the Scope, the school’s student-powered community news site focused on telling stories of justice, hope and resilience in Boston’s core neighborhoods. The publication is one of several projects focused on local news sustainability in the School of Journalism, including What Works and Reinventing Local TV News.
“Since its launch in late 2017, the Scope has become a national leader in leveraging university resources to help solve the news desert crisis. This grant is a vote of confidence in our model,” says Heckman. “Rebuilding the local information ecosystem is a big job, and we’re thrilled Press Forward sees the School of Journalism as a vital part of the solution.”
The Scope will use the Press Forward funds to provide multilingual coverage of 2025 municipal elections, deepen ties to the local community and continue to support the professional development of student journalists from diverse backgrounds.
Previous support from the College of Arts, Media and Design in the form of seed grants and a grant writing fellowship have helped develop the Scope’s strategic plan and were included in its application for the competitive Press Forward grant, which awards its first round of funds this year.
Heckman hopes this grant serves as a catalyst for more — and more sustainable — funding in the future. “We are so grateful for the support we receive from CAMD and Northeastern in the form of space, technology and faculty expertise, but steady external funding is vital to the Scope’s long-term success.”