WNYC's Cindy Rodriguez interviews two New Yorkers

Rigorous, independent local public affairs journalism is the foundation of a well-functioning society in which government and other powerful institutions are held accountable to their constituents. Yet over the past decade, public affairs/accountability journalism—particularly at the state and local levels—has been severely retrenched. The rise of the Internet and the resulting dramatic decline in circulation rates and advertising revenues of traditional newspapers have contributed to a profound diminishment in the quantity and quality of public affairs reportage.

At this critical juncture, Revson is providing support to NYPR/WNYC for the development of a new model of local public affairs journalism suited to the current challenges facing all news media. Its implementation involves: significant expansion in depth and breadth of content provided across audio, digital, and video platforms; development of content partnerships with community and ethnic news providers and topic-specific news sites; and the execution of new strategies to reach and engage broader audiences across the New York metropolitan area.

This grant supports NYPR/WNYC’s innovative use of media to foster an informed and active citizenry reflective of our city’s—and nation’s—evolving demographic composition and more inclusive of the city’s great array of perspectives and voices.

Explore WNYC’s local coverage on www.wnyc.org.

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