ProPublica will be opening up its news applications desk to coders from other newsrooms as part of a new "shadowing program" after receiving $1.9 million from the Knight Foundation.
In a post on the ProPublica Nerd Blog today Scott Klein, editor of news applications, outlined the ways the new funding will be used to "support and enhance" the US investigative non-profit's work in news apps.
"Over the next year, ProPublica’s news apps desk will grow bigger in several important ways," he says. "We’ll also open up our newsroom, sharing our methodologies and ideas so other can learn along with us, and we’ll do more great journalism."
Some of the developments will include the addition of a news app developer, a role which will be taken up by Lena Groeger who originally joined ProPublica this year as the first news applications fellow, which will now also become a "regular position in the department" with the hunt for the next holder of the position now starting.
And, Klein added, "starting as soon as possible" ProPublica will be "opening up the news application desk to coders in other newsrooms who want to hack with us on a project", through a "paired programming" initiative.
"Maybe you’ve got a news app you’ve been working on and need help understanding how to frame it, or maybe you just want to work inside a department that’s already solved some of the problems of joining code and journalism so you can bring our experience back to your newsroom."
According to a joint release from the Knight Foundation and ProPublica this will see the creation of "a job shadowing program for journalists from across the country".
"One journalist per month will spend several days at ProPublica's offices in New York, undertaking 'paired programming' by developing a news application and learning best practices in the field".
There are details on this and how to apply on ProPublica's website. It is open to anyone across the world, not just US journalists.
The Knight Foundation previously awarded a grant of $1 million to ProPublica in 2009, the joint release adds.
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