MISSION
The Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism supports the development and production of independent news in Massachusetts. BINJ achieves its mission by: providing organizational support to community publications; running reporting collaborations and civic engagement initiatives; training promising journalists; and producing bold investigative journalism.
MODEL
BINJ contracts with reporters of all types to produce multimedia projects and features. We operate with rigor and drill hard on difficult issues, while structurally BINJ relies on a vast network of independent media makers (of various skill levels and interests) and distributes through a matrix of deeply-rooted commonwealth press institutions — from scrappy outer-borough weeklies to hyper-local blogs and podcasts.
Our model is designed to yield projects that step back to glimpse the big picture. Resources are scant in the alternative and community press, but thanks to our supporters and reporters BINJ is able to help small and independent outlets punch above their weight and make an impact on a landscape that is increasingly dominated by elite entities.
The BINJ model is currently being used in other cities including Little Rock and Santa Fe, and with help from the Reva and David Logan Foundation our crew has compiled something we call “BINJ-in-a-Box,” an instructive road map for those looking to incubate media in any town, city, or subject area where independent journalism is on life support.
MORE BACKGROUND: The origins of BINJ
