Bloomington, Indiana – Indiana University Bloomington’s Media School is launching a new learning lab designed to strengthen local news coverage while providing paid, hands-on experience for student journalists. The Indiana Newsroom, set to open this fall, will focus on reporting issues that often go underreported in communities across southern Indiana, giving students an opportunity to develop real-world skills while serving the public.
The initiative is made possible by a two-year, $300,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County. The funding will support the creation of a dedicated learning space in Franklin Hall, pay student reporters, cover travel costs for reporting assignments, and fund the hiring of a visiting professor of community journalism to serve as the lab’s founding director. Up to 15 student journalists are expected to participate each semester, gaining hands-on reporting experience that complements their academic coursework.
“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,” said Suzannah Evans Comfort, associate professor in The Media School, who helped secure the grant. “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 Indiana Newsroom will operate using a content-sharing model common in today’s media ecosystem, allowing student-produced stories to reach wider audiences through partnerships with professional news outlets. The program’s first partner is Indiana Public Media, which includes WFIU and WTIU. These organizations have long worked to connect the Bloomington community with trusted news and resources, and the collaboration with the Indiana Newsroom will strengthen that mission.
“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,” said Mike Arnold, executive director of integrated public media. “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.”
The lab will also seek additional partnerships with other professional and independent student news organizations in the coming years. By collaborating with a variety of outlets, the program aims to increase the reach, credibility, and impact of student reporting while providing mentorship opportunities and professional guidance.
“At the heart of the Community Foundation is a vision for a vibrant Monroe County where every individual has the opportunity to thrive,” said Tina Peterson, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County. “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.”
Students participating in the lab will start with a three-credit community journalism course. Following that initial semester, they will become eligible for paid positions, taking on reporting assignments that include research, interviews, and multimedia production. This structure ensures that students build both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, preparing them for careers in journalism immediately after graduation.
By combining experiential learning with a focus on underserved communities, the Indiana Newsroom aims to address a pressing need for local news coverage while also nurturing the next generation of journalists. The lab will not only give students meaningful, paid work experience but also provide the public with in-depth reporting on local issues that may otherwise be overlooked.
With the support of the Community Foundation and Indiana Public Media, the Indiana Newsroom is poised to become a model for how university media programs can strengthen local journalism, foster civic engagement, and equip students with the tools they need to thrive in an evolving media landscape.
