Since 2021, the Consortium has invested $12.9M across 212 grants to 82 organizations in 19 of 21 counties. Explore the data, the stories, and the impact.
From May 2025 to April 2026, 33 current grantees produced thousands of pieces of original local news content.
Higher content production is seen in underserved communities — historically BIPOC areas and rural counties — reflecting targeted investment.
| County | Total Stories | Population (2024 est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Essex | 4,894 | 881,527 |
| Atlantic | 4,385 | 279,114 |
| Camden | 3,922 | 533,988 |
| Cumberland | 3,639 | 155,678 |
| Cape May | 3,394 | 93,875 |
| Mercer | 3,309 | 392,138 |
| Gloucester | 2,521 | 311,783 |
| Salem | 2,521 | 65,874 |
| Warren | 2,406 | 112,031 |
| Hudson | 2,295 | 736,185 |
| Morris | 2,101 | 523,053 |
| Burlington | 1,790 | 475,515 |
| Statewide | 1,815 | 9,500,851 |
| Middlesex | 1,659 | 890,119 |
| Ocean | 1,560 | 666,434 |
| Passaic | 1,542 | 526,597 |
| Bergen | 1,449 | 978,641 |
| Somerset | 239 | 357,467 |
| Union | 237 | 594,160 |
| Hunterdon | 30 | 131,708 |
May 2025 – April 2026: 30 grantees with website data available
About 50% of grantees saw an increase in their web traffic. Those with increases averaged 35% growth — with local and regional outlets recording an average of 49% growth compared to 17% for statewide organizations.
812 students taught podcasting and digital storytelling skills across two grant-funded high schools.
225 students engaged across four student news organizations: South Jersey Climate News (Rowan), The Daily Targum (Rutgers), The Signal (TCNJ), and The Tower (Princeton HS).
550 interns & fellows trained by programs like Follow South Jersey, Public Square Amplified, NJ State House News, and The Village Green.
348 adults gained reporting skills through programs like Radio Jornalera, New Labor, SJEJP, and the NJ Council for the Humanities certificate program.
Former interns and fellows have gone on to positions at NJ.com, Press of Atlantic City, MercerMe, The Dow Jones News Fund, and communications roles in the NJ State Legislature.
Consortium grantees often serve as the sole watchdog in their municipality, county, or school — and their reporting leads to real action.
Broke a story on closed-door talks between town officials and Atlantic Health for a hospital expansion — the biggest development project in Morristown's history. Public backlash forced the hospital to halt plans and become transparent. Also prompted the mayor to withdraw a proposed ban on sleeping in public places.
Reporting on remarks by the Jersey City BOE President prompted public condemnations from the NAACP, National Action Network, and local faith leaders. Video coverage of a school protest led the BOE to ban a former board president from school premises, citing HudPost's coverage.
Advocacy and reporting led to the resignation of a school advisory board president after misconduct allegations. Also prevented the closure of three Camden high schools — preserving the specialized approach to learning that has been a staple for decades.
Reporting on helicopter noise pollution in Hudson County led to bipartisan legislation from Rep. Menendez and caught the attention of Gov. Phil Murphy, who pressed the FAA for action.
Exposed a $1.5M debt at a local theater receiving taxpayer funds. The reporting forced the local government to halt funding and investigate the theater's spending.
Student journalist Ella Levy reported on a book ban at Columbia HS — picked up by NPR and Education Week. At Princeton HS, The Tower's reporting on surveillance software prompted the district to reverse its monitoring changes.
Grantees cross-publish content through the Center for Cooperative Media's content-sharing network and NJ State House News' wire service model.
CNJN collaborates with The Trenton Journal to produce "Capitol Conversations" and assists clients in tailoring content for distribution.
SJEJP places fellows in newsrooms like Black in Jersey, Atlantic City Focus, and Front Runner NJ — many continue as contributors after completing the fellowship.
Many grantees are specifically designed to serve communities that have historically been overlooked by mainstream media.
Serves day laborers and migrant workers through a grassroots, worker-led media model. Trains community members as reporters and uses bilingual programming, social media, and WhatsApp to reach audiences excluded from mainstream media.
Projected to have reached millions of readers in the Spanish-speaking and Latino community through translated and republished news content.
Covers the African American community in Atlantic City, including a Civic Engagement Guide with a directory of elections, community resources, and local leadership.
Covers African American and Latino communities with a restorative perspective in Atlantic City and greater South Jersey, expanding reporting capacity with more freelancers.
Serves African-Caribbean diaspora, Indigenous, and migrant communities in Newark while acting as a pipeline for the next generation of local journalists of color.
Several grantees have successfully reached new audiences as a direct result of NJCIC funding.
Utilized Instagram Reels to reach parents and students in Newark who prefer social media over traditional news sites. By shifting to short-form, platform-native video content, Chalkbeat Newark connected with community members previously inaccessible through web-based reporting.
A community-run news platform telling the stories of NJ's South Asian community. This past year, Central Desi expanded outreach and connection to the Sikh community in New Jersey through dedicated storytelling and coverage.
Expanded coverage to Hudson County's Spanish-speaking community through "El HudPostcito," a partnership with El Especialito Hispanic Newspaper. El Especialito distributes HudPost's original reporting in Spanish via print and yellow news boxes.
Successfully reaching readers in West Orange and Caldwell through reporting on underreported issues in these towns. This expansion was a direct result of Consortium funding enabling broader Essex County coverage.
| Type | All-Time | Since Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time | 32 | 11 |
| Part-time | 71 | 19 |
| Freelance / Contractor | 268 | 131 |
| Total | 371 | 161 |
Despite revenue gains, less than half of grantees report being financially sustainable. Over 60% operate on annual revenues of $250K or less, and outlets that are not sustainable are disproportionately ethnic and community media. Only 2 of 10 ECM outlets evaluated are financially sustainable — more investment is needed.
“Grant money has effectively generated more relevant content, especially to the underserved demographics in our area.”Craig Richards, The Hammonton Gazette
“Since becoming a grantee, we have seen a steady increase in our annual revenue, driven by stronger organizational capacity and expanded programming.”Richard Torres, Radio Jornalera
Across four dimensions — money, audience, product/tech, and people/process — participants measured their own progress over time.
Outlets entering the first Accelerator reported declining reach and flat engagement. Both metrics reversed during Accelerator 1.0 as teams gained tools and coaching. Financial stability and revenue gains were more likely in Accelerator 2.0.
Six case studies highlighting the transformative impact of Consortium funding on individual organizations and their communities.
MercerMe is an independent local news site for Hopewell Valley, founded in 2013. NJCIC funding enabled founder Mary Galioto to hire a full-time editor, Seth Siditsky, deepening community ties and expanding coverage.
Siditsky identified critical gaps in coverage, including school board meetings that had gone unreported. MercerMe's community-centered approach — "shaping community" rather than just content — has led to increased memberships and donations, with supporters noting the outlet fills a critical void.
Founded by Kenneth Miles, The Trenton Journal is a solutions-journalism outlet serving New Jersey's capital city. Miles sources story ideas from his neighbors, peers, and community — focusing on what is good and providing actionable resources.
The outlet was honored in a resolution for Black History Month to celebrate its service to Trenton. A collaboration with Central New Jersey Network (CNJN) produced the "Capitol Conversations" podcast.
An independent, digital-first nonprofit newsroom founded in 2017. NJCIC funding enabled a dedicated reporter for "Essex Local," expanding coverage beyond Montclair.
Montclair Local saw no dip from AI Overview on Google — a sign that readers are navigating directly to the site. Donations have increased, with one reader noting: "I know that statistically, towns with a local news source have lower taxes than those that do not."
Founded by veteran reporter Deborah Howlett (25+ years covering NJ government), this "teaching hospital for journalism" trains student interns from six partner universities on state house reporting while providing content to 100+ outlets statewide.
Alumni have gone on to full-time positions at NJ.com, Press of Atlantic City, MercerMe, and received prestigious internships. As one hiring editor noted: "The quality of the reporting is consistently professional, accurate and fair."
A network of 12 publications serving 50+ municipalities. A $71,856 NJCIC grant funded digital ad sales training through Broadstreet Ads.
One advertiser said: "We have tried many different digital advertising options online and none have given us these kinds of results on a consistent basis." Every team member has now booked a digital ad sale.
Dedicated to covering NJ's Black and African American communities. CEO Penda Howell (30+ years in media leadership) used NJCIC infrastructure funding to expand staff and refocus on revenue generation.
Expanded coverage into Camden led to partnerships with Camden Parent & Student Union, helping prevent three high school closures. Howell was invited to work on the NJ-S3744 advertising set-aside bill committee and testify before the legislature.
Two state agencies reached out about advertising opportunities after Howell's testimony — ending two years of unanswered calls. A potential merger with two other Black-owned newsrooms is underway to expand reach and audience.
While New Jersey remains home to a diverse and dynamic news ecosystem, it continues to shrink at an unprecedented pace. 65% of New Jerseyans want more local news, yet 43% of municipalities lack a designated news outlet. The Consortium is addressing these gaps — but more investment is needed.