A platform for Denison journalists

Group of students talking with eachother

Thanks to The Reporting Project, Denison journalism students have seen their articles published widely — in the Granville Sentinel, Newark Advocate, Columbus Dispatch, and more.

The Reporting Project is a digital platform for in-depth articles that cover local topics and news. Stories are written by Denison journalism students and faculty, and offered free of charge to other media outlets. As the project continues to grow, it is emerging as a nonprofit news source for Licking County.

“We focus on nonfiction storytelling that is about our place, our part of the “missing middle” of the country – its people, politics, culture, health, science and environment, and more,” says Jack Shuler, an author and professor of English and journalism at Denison.

Assignments send students into the community, linking the classroom to experiential learning. Students gather data, make observations, interview, and survey individuals and groups, as they write about a wide range of topics spanning the disciplines.

Student journalists work alongside seasoned professionals as they create written and visual stories. In addition to Shuler, faculty include video-journalist Doug Swift, Allan Miller, former editor of the Columbus Dispatch, and the current Mellon Writer-in-Residence, as well as Denison faculty from across a wide array of disciplines, including biology, cinema, communication, data analytics, earth and environmental sciences, English and studio art.

The Reporting Project mission is to share stories, in all media formats, that help us know the world we live in, and to provide a place for all voices to be heard. This is especially important in today’s media landscape, in which national corporate media entities sometimes perpetuate simplistic and divisive narratives, and as local outlets dwindle and leave behind dangerous news deserts.

Swift says, “It is very impressive to see how organized and dedicated students are in reaching out to sources, following up, and getting their interviews.” He adds, “They are truly getting a real-world experience.”

The Reporting Project is supported, in part, by the “Writing in Place” initiative, a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.