It wouldn’t be the end of year without sharing some highlights and headlines. In this newsletter we’ve got some end of year reflections from places as diverse as Kyiv and Trenton, New Jersey. We asked them to share something meaningful from their civic media work this year.

Kiev, Ukraine: Internews colleague Nataliia Biedina

We are completing our second year of work in war conditions to implement the Media Program in Ukraine supporting media in our country. Despite the incredible hardship of war, we’ve been able to maintain a reliable and fruitful work environment, and a friendly atmosphere even under rocket attacks and during black-outs. Many small local media partners here in Ukraine have gotten financial and mentoring support from us. And millions of readers, listeners, and viewers had access to truthful information that helped them make the right decisions. Even my own family members benefitted. Access to critical information gives us hope, and enables us to dream, plan, and even feel happy during this war.

Fresno, California: LPC Partner Sergio Cortes, Founder of uSpark Valley

On November 14 of this year I attended the California Journalism Summit at Stanford University. It was the first time I attended an event like this and I was blown away by the philanthropic and journalist community that was present. I had the opportunity to network with other amazing journalists and I got to tour the campus which was so beautiful. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be in some place like this, especially on my birthday. I am from Mexico and my mom brought me to the U.S. when I was 5 years old. I grew up in a poor Californian rural community and the only prospect for me at the time was to continue to toil away in the fields. I was told as an undocumented immigrant I had no future and should not even consider dreaming big. Nevertheless I had to try. I am not going to sugar coat it, I had a rough life. Opportunities for undocumented immigrants are not as plentiful. The Listening Post Collective’s team provided support, direction, and resources that I didn’t have. Not just that but they provided an avenue for me to pursue my dreams of being a journalist and to help my community. While I was at Stanford, surrounded by the beautiful trees and architecture, I took a moment to reflect on the progress I have made and to think about the people that I met along this journey, and I saw the compilation of all my hard work.

Irvine, California: LPC Funder The James Irvine Foundation, Vaishalee Raja and Nicole Pritchard

We are grateful to the Listening Post Collective for being a great partner in helping Irvine understand community news and information needs. LPC not only identifies challenges but also works alongside community partners to develop solutions. A great example is their work with Frontline Observer among others to build the capacity of community-based outlets to use creative strategies to share local stories and perspectives that are often missing from mainstream media.

Calí, Colombia: Internews colleague Nathaly Espitia Diaz

This year I worked on understanding information needs of people passing through Necoclí, the jumping off point between my native Colombia and the Darien Gap. During two trips I encountered people from all over the world as they prepared to enter Darien. Through their stories, I traveled through mountains and rivers. However, it was within these narratives that I discovered more clues about what I want to continue doing and, most importantly, what we need to continually question in the field of journalism:  How can we create better spaces for these people to tell their own stories? What strategies can we implement to ensure that funds remain centered on the communities, even if they are moving? How can stories about at-risk communities go beyond narratives of suffering, misfortune, and poverty? Why don’t journalistic awards include a percentage in their criteria for the protagonists of the stories to receive these economic incentives?

Trenton, New Jersey: LPC Collaborator Kenny Miles, Founder Trenton Journal

Community means a lot to me. What I am most proud of is when I have people who reach out to me to share their stories. Recently, I was invited into the home of Celia Giddens, whose daughter, Naimah Salaam, reads and supports the work we are doing in the community. Salaam wanted us to interview her mother for a profile in the Trenton Journal as she celebrated her 100th birthday. There is nothing more intimate than someone opening up their home and sharing their story with you and I am proud of the relationships we are building in the capital city.

Oakland, California: LPC Collaborator Jesse Vasquez, Pollen Initiative

We are excited that in 2023 we have started the journalism guild that will eventually be a multimedia center at the Central California Women’s Facility, a female only state prison. It is incredible to have passionate, dedicated colleagues like Lisa Armstrong, Professor of Journalism at UC Berkeley; Fernando Gallo, Professor of Journalism at California State University, Sacramento; Nigel Hatton, Assistant Professor of Writing at UC Merced and Kate McQueen, UC Santa Cruz writing lecturer and Wall City magazine advisor helping spearhead and steer the program to support the amplification of women’s voices.

Puebla, Mexico: Internews Colleague Cesar Mendoza Ramirez

One of the most surprising things that I came across this year was the measurement of audience trust in the press. This is a crucial aspect to comprehend, as it helps us understand why people are seeking new sources of information in social networks and content creators. In addition, I also spent a lot of time thinking about the issue of hate speech, and how it can inhibit participation in civic spaces, as well as the problem of communities that are trapped in disinformation. Both of these topics were thought-provoking and shed light on the challenges that we face in today’s world.