The Worcester Guardian, the city’s nonprofit, independent news organization, is partnering with Worcester State University to expand local news coverage, create student internships and strengthen the university’s growing journalism program.
The new agreement is a first for both the city’s only public four-year university and the startup journalism enterprise that is filling a void in the local news landscape.
President Barry Maloney called the partnership a win for the university and the community.
“Worcester State University has a mission to serve the public, and we recognize the importance of The Worcester Guardian’s role in providing independent journalism for a healthy community,” Maloney said. “This collaboration will provide students with unique opportunities to learn real-world journalism skills in a professional newsroom. And at the same time, our student interns will give the local community more high-quality local journalism that is so critical for civic engagement and democracy.”
Early supporters of The Guardian include Fallon Health, Unibank, Dewey Square Group, Synergy, Worcester State, Schwartz Charitable Foundation and the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce foundation, as well as individual donors.
Seven months in, The Guardian is growing quickly with 8,000 morning newsletter subscribers and more than 350 stories published. In February, The Guardian received federal tax exemption as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
The partnership with Worcester State is part of the organization’s early success, said Tim Loew, chair of The Worcester Guardian Board of Directors.
“I’m pleased our first major partner is Worcester State,” Loew said. “From our perspective, this is where we want to be. It’s key to the future of our community that we engage young people in this endeavor and this industry. They are going to be the ones telling these stories and doing this work for years to come.”
The partnership comes as the university is set to roll out a new multimedia journalism minor in the fall through the Communication and English departments. In addition, student journalists are in the process of introducing a student-led news site, The Wormtown Herald. The Communication Department’s Center for Community Media produces a talk show, podcasts, community video and public service announcements. Together with the Guardian internships, the university is creating a dynamic media ecology, say faculty leaders.
“We want to start connecting more of these pieces together,” said Matt Ortoleva, chair of the English Department. “There is always a group of students interested in journalism. As a profession, even as a calling, journalism is profoundly important to our community and our democracies. Some students get that, and it is also our job to make other students see that. Journalism skills are applicable and transferable to a wide array of different careers and jobs.”
As news organizations have closed down, traditional journalism internships have also vanished, said Dan Hunt, chair of the Communication Department.
“When I speak with students interested in communication and journalism, I encourage them to generate clips. Now we have another opportunity where students can get a byline and participate in local journalism in a practical way.”
The relationship between The Guardian and Worcester State will be a dynamic one, said Dave Nordman, the former executive editor of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette who is serving as a consultant to The Guardian, with the newsroom’s journalists speaking to classes, working closely with faculty and providing feedback to students.
“Because of the quality of Worcester State students, I’m looking forward to what kind of journalism can be produced,” said Nordman. “In the Worcester market, this is pretty unique. It validates us as a news organization that has a very bright future to partner with Worcester State to build something from the ground up.”
