Public Insight Journalism (PIJ)
What is PIJ?
PIJ is a new model for journalism that turns your audience, and the public, into news sources.
Over the past five years, sources from American Public Medias Public Insight Network have informed and influenced more than 600 stories, programs and projects at Minnesota Public Radio News, and at American Public Media programs Marketplace, Weekend America, Speaking of Faith and American Radio Works. More than 60,000 people from around the country, and the world, have become part of the Public Insight Network.
Network sources have helped our newsrooms break stories, find new angles on breaking news, uncover emerging stories and trends, increase the diversity of our sources, and quickly find central characters for stories.
PIJ can put your newsroom at the leading edge of the technology-driven media revolution that allows unprecedented public participation in newsgathering and delivery.
To learn more about PIJ, visit: www.americanpublicmedia.org/publicinsight or read an article from the May 1 issue of Current.
See how Minnesota Public Radio presents PIJ to its audience>>
The PIJ Partner Program
The new Center for Innovation in Journalism at American Public Media will offer support, training and access to the software behind PIJ. Partner stations will develop their own local Public Insight Networks from the communities they serve and will tap those networks to strengthen their coverage.
To apply, go to: www.apmstations.org/pilotpartnerapp.
American Public Media will collaborate with pilot partner stations starting in August. After the pilot program, American Public Media plans to offer PIJ more widely to stations.
To qualify as a pilot partner, stations should:
- Have substantial journalism-based local programming or news coverage
- Be prepared to hire a full-time staff journalist to lead the local effort and serve as a PIJ analyst
- Have a web site that carries the station's news and info programming
- Have significant audience in the station's market
- Demonstrate excitement and buy-in throughout all departments to pursue PIJ
- Stations will need to invest $10,000-$12,000 to cover travel to St. Paul, training, promotion and American Public Media costs (more details in the application.)
If you have questions, contact Linda Fantin at lfantin@americanpublicmedia.org.
To apply, go to: www.apmstations.org/pilotpartnerapp.
Find Out More about PIJ
See how Minnesota Public Radio news room has used PIJ:
PIJ in action: See some of the stories that Public Insight Journalism informed>>
In Good Company: Meet some of the people in the Public Insight Network>>
Public Insight Journalism is funded by Minnesota Public Radio's Capital Campaign: The Next Standard, and the David B. Gold, McCormick Tribune and Blandin Foundations. American Public Media is seeking additional funding for the Center for Innovation in Journalism and PIJ.