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How a 1980s AIDS Support Group Changed The Internet Forever

Michael Waters

December 18, 2020 |

OneZero |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

In the 1980s, a virtual messaging network, then known as bulletin board systems (BBSs), acted as a support group for many who were in search of peer support and reliable information as the AIDS epidemic spread. Although the site was a grassroots effort with little to no financial stability, it grew to 500 daily users and 100 messages posted per day.

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Rentervention connects renters with legal services, virtually

Lauren Leazenby

December 18, 2020 |

The Columbia Chronicle |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

A chatbox is dispensing free legal advice and even writing and sending letters to landlords to help tenants facing eviction. Landlords typically hire lawyers in eviction cases, while the majority of tenants arrive in court without any legal assistance, leaving them at a distinct disadvantage. The chatbox, cleverly named Rentervention, has been especially busy helping tenants avoid eviction since the start of the pandemic.

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Internet Companies Don't Want to Serve the Clearfork Valley. So Residents Are Working to Build Their Own Access

Gabe Schwartzman

December 14, 2020 |

The Daily Yonder |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Clearfork Valley, Kentucky

Community advocates in Clearfork Valley created their own public internet hotspot to bridge the digital divide, especially as the pandemic rendered high-speed internet more of a necessity than a luxury. Broadband companies were reluctant to run fiber-optic cables through the valley because the rural area wouldn't bring in a profit for the internet providers. A small nonprofit, Community Tech, NY, stepped in to help solve the problem by providing Portable Network Kits which provide internet access. Although it creates a small network, it's a huge step toward "stepping onto the technology highway."

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Long distances and stigma: Telehealth seen as way for farmers to access needed mental health assistance

Marissa Plescia

December 08, 2020 |

Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Illinois

A variety of telehealth counseling options throughout several Midwestern states are helping connect farmers with mental health clinicians. One option is online training, specifically targeted towards engaged couples and newlyweds, that teaches best practices for farming basics and managing communication and stress – already 1,500 people have enrolled in the course.

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The NewsRun, a daily newsletter about Pakistan, cuts through the noise of a cluttered media market

Hanaa’ Tameez

November 24, 2020 |

Nieman Lab |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

The NewsRun is “a daily newsletter that summarizes Pakistan’s major stories of the day." It’s helping Pakistani people stay on top of the news. Some Pakistani people who live in the country get overwhelmed with the daily news cycle, while Pakistani’s living abroad might have a language barrier or lack the context to understand the news. The clear, direct language of the newsletter makes the news accessible. "The way it’s written is clear and it highlights all the key points I need to know." The newsletter has thousands of Instagram followers and a “20 to 30 percent daily open rate.”

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Streaming Needs to Pay Artists More—but There's an Idea From China That Could Help

William Ralston Niko Seizov

November 20, 2020 |

Slate |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: China

A music-streaming service in China has successfully created a revenue stream for artists who can monetize direct exchanges with their loyal fanbase. Platforms like Apple Music, Pandora, and Spotify are responsible for almost 80 percent of global music revenue but royalties to artists are generally low. Some applications and services in the United States have allowed artists to receive micropayments from fans but making the process easy and convenient would require the larger streaming services to cultivate direct exchanges and incentivize "a digital tip jar."

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From individual sessions to taking a real-world approach, here's how teachers are adapting to the pandemic

Naomi Martin

November 15, 2020 |

The Boston Globe |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

Teachers are having to restructure the way they teach due to the pandemic imposed challenges of virtual classes. This story chronicles how three different teachers adjusted their instruction. From having students break out into chat rooms, to changing the material they teach, these teachers are adjusting as they go along to accommodate learning.

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City Limits made a voter guide for judicial elections — and readers loved it

Ben DeJarnette

November 12, 2020 |

Nieman Lab |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

City Limits, a nonprofit newsroom in New York City that specializes in longer-form journalism, created a judicial election voter guide that received nearly 81,000 page views, more than six times that of the site’s other top-performing posts. The company also partnered with Gotham Gazette and WNYC to create an interactive voter guide that gives users a breakdown of election races in their area. The collaboration filled an information void for readers, expanded City Limits’ reach, and allowed it to benefit from the resources of the larger organizations, such as a tech team to build a custom embeddable widget.

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With Talk2020, The Wall Street Journal turns an internal reporting tool into a reusable news product

Sarah Scire

November 02, 2020 |

Nieman Lab |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

Talk2020 is a searchable database from the Wall Street Journal with thousands of transcripts from presidential and vice-presidential candidates’ campaign speeches, media appearances, debates, and more. Users can filter by issue, date, candidate, or keyword to find quotes and facts about a candidate’s record. It began as an internal tool to help reporters and editors working in the D.C. bureau frame and inform their own journalism, but focus groups showed that news consumers also wanted to be able to quickly locate quotes and facts for their own edification and to support fact-based debates with others.

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Rural America Is Building Its Own Broadband Network

Teresa Carey

October 28, 2020 |

Freethink |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Hampshire

Co-ops that have historically brought electricity and telephone services to rural America are now providing internet service, which many consider essential for health care access, education and employment. Broadband companies don't make a profit when covering a large area with limited households per mile so co-ops have filled the need. Many co-ops are tapping into federal funds from the CARES Act to invest in the infrastructure needed to bring high-speed, affordable internet to rural areas.

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