Nonprofit investigative-journalism organization ProPublica announced Tuesday a new partnership with The News Outlet, an community-journalism nonprofit based in northeast Ohio. The initiative, which The News Outlet detailed on its website, is an investigative-reporting workshop for journalism students at Youngstown State University, which founded The News Outlet and operates the website from its campus.
The partnership, billed as a pilot project, adds a component to an advanced reporting course in YSU’s journalism school. Students will report and produce investigative stories under the guidance of ProPublica managing editor Stephen Engelberg. Engelberg will visit the campus for the first week of the class, then join the class weekly via Skype.
The News Outlet already incorporates students into its operations, employing interns from YSU, Kent State University and the University of Akron to produce locally focused stories for publication by any news organization thanks to an open-source agreement similar to one used by ProPublica. All three universities collaborate to manage the site, along with other Ohio-centric news organizations, including NPR member station WYSU.