The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has awarded a $1 million grant to Harvest Public Media, expanding the public radio collaborative journalism initiative’s coverage from nine to 15 states over the next three years.
Focused on agricultural and rural issues in the Midwest, Great Plains, and farming communities across the US, Harvest Public Media includes a core partnership among flagship KCUR, Illinois Public Media, WNIJ, Iowa Public Radio, St. Louis Public Radio, KOSU, Nebraska Public Media, and 15 associate stations.
The network reports on issues including rising food prices, climate impacts on agriculture, farm safety and health risks, food deserts, and the evolving landscape of rural communities. The grant will allow the cooperative to hire three additional reporters at partner stations across new states, increasing local coverage. The collaboration will also add an audience editor to work with affiliate stations on data analytics and audience engagement strategies.
CPB has provided more than $48 million in discretionary funding to support regional journalism collaborations since 2010. That same year, Harvest Public Media was one of the first initiatives launched with CPB support, originally partnering with six stations to report on food production and agricultural issues in the Midwest.
CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison remarked, “Agriculture and farming in rural America are the backbone of our country, driving our economy and contributing to our national security. So many rural newsrooms are gone, and it’s important for CPB to support the growth and reporting capacity of Harvest Public Media.”
KCUR General Manager Sarah Morris commented, “Harvest’s collaborative reporting comes from the ground up and provides a richer, more nuanced picture across a wider region of rural areas than any other media outlet can provide. This grant will allow Harvest to grow its coverage footprint and to better serve audiences across the country.”
