Reclaiming the Desert: Monte Vista Journalism Workshops Train the Next Generation of Rural Reporters

News deserts—places that have limited access to reliable local news and information—continue to grow across the rural Mountain West. One force contributing to their rise is the challenge that many local outlets face staffing their newsrooms. With many journalists aiming to work in larger media markets, rural communities struggle to attract journalists. It’s a problem that members of the Rural Journalism Institute of the San Luis Valley wanted to solve by expanding training for small town and rural journalists. They had the idea for free workshops that would provide coaching for high school and college students and other communications workers in the San Luis Valley, but they needed support launching the program. LOR’s funding helped the institute secure a venue, provide meals, and cover instructor stipends for summer workshops in Monte Vista and Alamosa. Participants will receive hands-on instruction in audio, video, and photography, training the next generation of talented journalists for local newsrooms.

This project was fiscally sponsored by Optimystics Citizens Action Network.