Indiana University Bloomington receives grant for new media learning lab

Indiana University Bloomington’s Media School has received a grant that will support the Indiana Newsroom, a learning lab that will give journalism students the opportunity to participate in paid learning experiences that will expand local news coverage. The grant comes from the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County in the amount of $300,000, which will fund the Indiana Newsroom for two years when it launches in the Fall 2026 semester.

According to an article on Indiana University Bloomington’s website, Suzannah Evans Comfort, who serves as an associate professor in The Media School, was quoted as saying of the new initiative, “An important goal of this initiative is to expand the capacity for reporting that’s already being done by student and professional media organizations in our region. We’re looking to develop coverage on communities and issues that haven’t received as much news attention simply because of the limited resources facing our local news organizations. We’ve felt for some time that there was a stronger role for The Media School to play in supporting our local news landscape, and students are going to gain valuable hands-on experience that will make them better-prepared journalists when they graduate.”

The grant funding will support the hiring of a visiting professor of community journalism to serve as the founding director of the Indiana Newsroom learning lab, as well as provide pay for the student journalists who participate. Students will take a three-credit community journalism course, and will become eligible for paid work during their second semester of participation.

The Indiana Newsroom will employ up to 15 student journalists per semester, who will work alongside professional journalists and student news organizations via a content sharing model. The first participating partner will be Indiana Public Media, and as the program expands, more partners will be invited to participate in the initiative.

Mike Arnold, who serves as the executive director of integrated public media, said, “As a service of Indiana University, WFIU and WTIU have a long-standing mission to connect our community with the information and resources that improve Hoosier lives. This partnership with the Indiana Newsroom expands that mission, giving us the capacity to dig deeper into the stories affecting southern Indiana through the fresh eyes of student journalists. We are excited to see what this becomes as more partners are involved in this project.”

Tina Peterson, the president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, explained the importance of the Indiana Newsroom initiative, saying, “At the heart of the Community Foundation is a vision for a vibrant Monroe County where every individual has the opportunity to thrive. Access to trusted information is vital for residents to feel connected and empowered to participate in civic decisions that shape their daily lives. Strengthening local news is central to that work, which is why the foundation has been working in multiple ways to support a more resilient and collaborative local news ecosystem. Through this partnership with Indiana University, we’re not only expanding coverage across the Indiana Uplands region; we’re also helping build a stronger pipeline of journalists equipped with the skills and experiences necessary to report thoughtfully on local communities throughout their careers.”

For more information about Indiana University Bloomington, visit the school’s website.