The cohort includes 19 faculty in 18 states awarded for their leadership of student statehouse reporting programs
Dr. Jen Duck, assistant professor of journalism, was recently named to the first cohort of “statehouse faculty champions” by The Center for Community News (CCN) at University of Vermont. The cohort includes 19 professors in 18 states who are leading student reporting programs focusing on state governance, legislation and politics.
More than 14 million Americans get their news from student reporters. The honor comes with a grant to allow for collaboration between students and local newsrooms in an effort to build a sustainable future for local news around the nation.
Prior to becoming a full-time professor at Belmont, Duck covered politics in local news and was a White House reporter/producer for ABC News.
"With local newsroom cuts hitting historic highs, the need for local political coverage has never been more in demand,” said Duck. "Tennessee currently has four counties without a newspaper and 68 counties with just a single newspaper. Tennessee statehouse reporters have dwindled from 35 to around ten in recent years. Our goal with this grant is to train students to cover the statehouse, assist local news outlets, and increase civic engagement across Tennessee."
Local news is an essential piece of a healthy democracy. Communities with dedicated local news organizations report higher levels of civic engagement, social cohesion, and effective problem-solving.
“As statehouse beats become increasingly rare, partnerships with college reporting programs can be a news lifeline for underserved regions,” said CCN Director Richard Watts. “The dedicated faculty who are running these programs are creating a sustainable pipeline of critical information in their communities. We are thrilled to amplify their work and inspire others to jump in.”
Coverage of statehouses has never been more important as consequential debates over education, public health, housing, gun ownership and more happen at the state level. Despite increasing need, the number of full-time statehouse reporters has declined by 34% since 2014 according to Pew Research Center. In that time, university-led reporting has stepped in to fill the gap. Today, some of the most rigorous reporting on urgent issues is being done by student reporters in states across the country. CCN released an impact report on these programs earlier this year.