E80 - New News in DC: Abby Higgins & Eric Falquero - 51st Newsroom

Five Dubs Podcast

MDDC Executive Director Rebecca Snyder sits with Abby higgins and Eric Falquero of The 51st Newsroom, a worker-led nonprofit dedicated to transforming local journalism in Washington, DC. Hear firsthand from the passionate journalists driving this initiative, as they share their journey of launching a public crowdfunding campaign to build a better local news site. Discover how their commitment to democratic and collective decision-making shapes their newsroom, ensuring that journalists have a say in coverage and the future direction of the organization. Dive into their mission of deep community engagement and contextualized reporting on local issues, and learn about the overwhelming community support they've received. The newsroom’s ambitious plans to scale up include adding staff members and information organizers in each ward of DC. Join us for an inspiring conversation about the future of local news and the innovative efforts to keep it thriving in the nation's capital.
Interested in donating to The 51st Newsroom? DONATE HERE until August 13, 2024, 11 PM EST.

Chapter

1. Introducing the 51st newsroom (00:00:00)

2. Worker-led newsrooms and the need for change (00:03:09)

3. The inspiration behind the 51st newsroom (00:06:12)

4. Scaling up and building a sustainable newsroom (00:10:53)

5. Deep community engagement and listening (00:13:24)

6. Learning from other worker-led and nonprofit newsrooms (00:16:36)

7. Reimagining local news and leaving behind old structures (00:19:34)

8. Collaborating with other publications and serving underserved communities (00:28:10)

9. The crowdfunding campaign and future plans (00:31:57)