New Jersey’s ethnic and community media come together for first-ever expo
The Center for Cooperative Media hosted the first NJ Ethnic + Community Media Expo at TCNJ last week
The Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University hosted the first New Jersey Ethnic and Community Media Expo at TCNJ in Ewing, NJ on Thursday, April 4.
We had a fantastic turnout, with a full house of more than 80 attendees and exhibitors from across the state. The Expo space was buzzing with energy as participants networked and connected with representatives from 20 New Jersey ethnic and community media outlets.
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The event was supported with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Democracy Fund, and NEO Philanthropy.
The program featured keynotes by Assemblywoman Tennille R. McCoy (D, LD-14) and Jacquelyn Suárez, Acting Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, who both shared their expertise and experiences in the field.
We were also thrilled to receive a special video message from Gov. Phil Murphy himself, emphasizing the importance of ethnic and community Media in New Jersey.
The Expo provided a valuable platform for attendees to learn, collaborate, and strengthen their roles in serving their communities through media. The feedback we’ve received so far has been overwhelmingly positive, and we look forward to building upon this success in future events.
In 2023, the Center documented about 140 ethnic and community news organizations in New Jersey, serving various immigrant communities, people of color, and underserved populations.
Some of these outlets have been operating for over a century and are among the oldest-running publications in America. The Center has allocated significant resources to support these news organizations through reporting fellowships, translation services, journalism memberships, training, and press briefings.
The Expo also featured a video presentation discussing ethnic media in New Jersey, featuring partners from various media outlets such as The Korea Daily, Nowy Dziennik, NJ Urban News, Reporte Hispano, and The Filipino Channel.
The presentation highlighted the diverse voices and perspectives that make up New Jersey’s media landscape.
One of the key takeaways from the Expo was the importance of collaboration and resource-sharing among ethnic and community media. By working together and leveraging each other’s strengths, these outlets can better serve their communities and amplify their impact.
Another recurring theme was the need for increased support and recognition for ethnic and community media. These outlets play a vital role in providing accurate, culturally-relevant information to their audiences, yet they often operate with limited resources and funding. The Expo highlighted the importance of advocating for policies and initiatives that support the growth and sustainability of these media outlets and journalists.
We look forward to building on the success of this inaugural event and continuing to support and empower New Jersey’s ethnic and community media in the years to come.
📸 You can see photos from the Expo here and may use them in your coverage of the event as long you credit them to Joe Amditis, Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University.
Joe Amditis is the assistant director of products and events at the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University. Contact him at amditisj@montclair.edu or on Twitter at @jsamditis.
About the Center for Cooperative Media: The Center is a primarily grant-funded program of the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. Its mission is to grow and strengthen local journalism and support an informed society in New Jersey and beyond. The Center is supported with funding from Montclair State University, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Democracy Fund, the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium, the Independence Public Media Foundation, Rita Allen Foundation, Inasmuch Foundation and John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. For more information, visit centerforcooperativemedia.org.
