New partnership with KLRN‐TV will broaden NOWCastSA.com ‘neighbor‐to‐neighbor’ news reach
From issues related to the sustainability of “Mom and Pop” grocery stores or the Mission Reach project’s impact on area neighborhoods to live webcasts highlighting city health initiatives and town hall meetings, NOWCastSA.com is growing as one of San Antonio’s most innovative online community news and information resources.
Now, thanks in part to a second Knight Community Information Challenge (KCIC) grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, this grassroots community news project looks to expand its reputation a valuable source for neighbor‐to‐neighbor news.
Part of the Knight Foundation’s Media Innovation Initiative, this new matching grant was awarded to the San Antonio Area Foundation, a member of the CI:NOW community partnership comprised of over 20 public, private, governmental, educational, and healthcare organizations. A previous KCIC challenge winner, CI:NOW’s NOWCastSA.com will partner with the region’s public television station, KLRN‐TV, to increase the site’s usage and foster additional community participation. In addition, the station plans to utilize a future weekly public affairs broadcast to further encourage online conversations about community issues through NOWCastSA.com.
“On a global scale, citizen journalism is rapidly transforming intercity communications, “offers Clarence R. “Reggie” Williams, President and Chief Executive Officer of the San Antonio Area Foundation. “Since NOWCastSA.com was launched in June 2009, our goal has been to help engage or stimulate San Antonio’s neighbor‐to‐neighbor communications. By utilizing state‐of‐the art, online broadcasting technology as well as offering professional new media training for citizen journalists, NOWCastSA.com
is helping empower neighborhoods to define for themselves how to best create, exchange, and use community information and conversation.”
William Moll, President of KLRN‐TV, and NOWCastSA.com Board Chair, notes this new collaborative partnership will also enhance their communications outreach. “Key to our mission is enriching the lives of South Central Texans through improved communication, quality programs, and services. By combining our outreach efforts, we can engage communities in a virtual ‘public square’ where people come together online to share news, information, and commentary.“
The Knight Community Information Challenge helps community and place‐based foundations support news and information projects that inform and engage residents. It is premised on two strongly held beliefs: in a democracy, information is essential for a community to function properly; it is a core need; and since community foundations are established to meet core community needs, they are logical partners in meeting the information needs of communities. The San Antonio Area Foundation was one of only 19 community foundations in the country to receive KCIC funding for 2011‐13.
"These foundations are at the front line of an increasing movement of place‐based foundations to improve the information health of America's communities," said Alberto Ibargüen, president and CEO of Knight Foundation. "Their work helps residents have the information they need to make important decisions about their communities. Ultimately, our democracy will only thrive if we have informed and engaged communities."
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of the U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. Knight Foundation focuses on projects with the potential to create transformational change. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.
About CI:NOW
CI‐NOW's mission is "to be a trusted source for information and tools, creating an informed and engaged community for the greater good." Its members include 20 public, private, governmental, educational and healthcare organizations whose original mission was to democratize and make public the data they gathered. For more, visit www.cinow.info.
CI‐NOW's programs are:
NOWData: An interactive portal connecting the community with a variety of data.
NOWTech: Six community technology learning centers offering classes on English as a second language, computer literacy training, G.E.D. certification and citizenship.
NOWCastSA: An online community journalism initiative that links to and incorporates information from NOWData.
About KLRN‐TV
KLRN‐TV Channel 9 is the Public Television station for South Central Texas and broadcasts to a 30‐county radius. The mission of KLRN is to use the power of telecommunications to provide quality programs and services which advance education, culture and community, to enrich the lives of people throughout our community and beyond. For more, visit www.klrn.org.
About the San Antonio Area Foundation
For over 45 years, the San Antonio Area Foundation has connected donors of all backgrounds with the causes that matter most to them, for the betterment of San Antonio and the surrounding region. The Area Foundation offers a wide range of giving opportunities and highly personalized service that bring donors and charitable organizations together for the benefit of the community. Through an exemplary managed grant and scholarship program, the San Antonio Area Foundation has distributed more than $170 million since its inception. Our board, volunteers, and staff understand the issues and challenges facing our region and work together with our donors to make a lasting impact on the community. Visit www.saafdn.org.
