Dakotafire Get your spark here.
I am thrilled to announce that three more newspapers are now part of the Dakotafire effort!
Here is the news release about those additional newspapers:
Three newspapers join Dakotafire news collaboration project
MARCH11, 2013, FREDERICK, S.D. — Three N.D. newspapers have joined the Dakotafire news collaboration project, which brings together community newspapers to report on issues of common interest.
Journalists at the Ipswich Tribune, the (Eureka) Northwest Blade and the (Bowdle) Pride of the Prairie join 11 North and South Dakota newspapers in working together, and with Dakotafire staff, to report on issues important to the region.
By working with and learn from other journalists in the region, community newspaper journalists are able to tackle stories they wouldn’t have the resources to cover alone.
The stories Dakotafire produces are published in participating newspapers, online at Dakotafire.net, and in a quarterly magazine.
The three-year project, now in its second year, is part of the Knight Community Information Challenge, which encourages community and place-based foundations to support news and information projects that inform and engage residents. As part of the challenge, the South Dakota Community Foundation ensures matching support to Knight’s financial contribution.
The project is receiving $240,000 in support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and $60,000 from the South Dakota Community Foundation, with additional support coming from other foundations as well as corporate and individual sponsors.
Dakotafire covers issues that affect the everyday lives of rural residents, such as education, health care, agriculture, and infrastructure.
“As many communities struggle to deal with declining populations, Dakotafire’s goal is to give people the information they need to make good decisions and to find positive solutions about the challenges they face,” said Heidi Marttila-Losure, editor and program administrator for Dakotafire. “We are excited to have communities in McPherson and Edmunds counties taking part in our efforts. The more voices we have involved in the Dakotafire project, the more we can learn from one another.”
The Dakotafire project began in September 2011. Following the end of the grant period, Dakotafire Media, LLC, aims to continue the project with support coming from a variety of sources, including advertising, subscriptions and sponsorship.
