Free Press Asks What Residents Want In Local Media Coverage
State broadcast license sales to help fund rebuilding local news
Local news media coverage along the Jersey Shore has changed over the past decade and the Free Press aims to place coverage control back in the hands of the public.
Through News Voices: New Jersey, the Free Press is working to build a network of people invested in local journalism.
“We believe the future of quality local journalism lies in collaborations between newsrooms and communities,” organizers said in a written statement. “Deep connections between media outlets and readers benefit both groups: Newsrooms can expand their audiences, deepen local engagement and find new sources. Communities can call on reporters to cover the issues they care about most and help create the kinds of local media they need.”
To that end, the public is invited to Our Voices, Our Future: What New Jersey Residents Want in Local Media.
The forum will be held held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, at Cowerks, located in the Lakehouse building at 619 Lake Ave. Doors will open at 9:30 a.m. and light refreshments will be served.
The initiative is made possible through the Civic Information Consortium, a partnership between the Free Press Action Fund and state universities.
With the sale of [state] public broadcast licenses 
resulting in $332 million in proceeds, forums are being held to ensure the money goes back to informing communities and rebuilding local media, News Voices: New Jersey Director Mike Rispoli [at right] said.
Because a bill to create a $100 million fund to better inform New Jersey residents needs to pass by June 30, resident input on how the funds can improve news and information in their neighborhood is imperative, he said.
“This event is about lifting up the voices of the community, working to strengthen local media, and to take action to support this bill,” Rispoli said.
To RSVP click here.
To learn more about News Voices: New Jersey, click here.
[photos courtesy of the Free Press]
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