N&O receives grant to enhance coverage of Hurricane Florence recovery efforts
The News & Observer has received a $25,000 grant from the North Carolina Community Foundation and the North Carolina Local News Lab Fund to enhance continuing coverage of the recovery efforts from Hurricane Florence.
Reporter Adam Wagner will focus on hurricane recovery accountability, including efforts to rebuild and revitalize communities, and on the environmental effect of Florence. Wagner’s work for the News & Observer is also supported by Report for America, a nonprofit journalism and community service organization.
The Community Foundation/Local News Lab grant to the News & Observer is a portion of more than $300,000 in grants the group has awarded to support reporting and public engagement related to hurricane recovery and preparations for the next storm.
“Having trustworthy, accurate and timely news and information is vital for North Carolina’s communities as they heal and rebuild,” the Community Foundation said in announcing the grants.
In addition to the News & Observer, grant recipients included Black River Health Services, which will train people to share information during disasters to Spanish-speaking farm workers; Duke University, which will host a workshop for journalists, meteorologists and others to discuss ways to get information to vulnerable communities; EducationNC, which will produce a series of multimedia stories about communities affected by Florence; and the UNC Center for Public Television, which will develop a series of multimedia videos on storm preparedness.
Leslie Ann Jackson, NCCF vice president of community investment and engagement, said in a release, “We’re proud of the partnership we’ve forged with the NC Local News Lab and the willingness our partners have shown to address the persistent needs for access to information and for continued media coverage of disaster recovery. These grants are a tremendous asset to the communities in our state still recovering from Hurricane Florence and building resilience.”
Teresa Gorman, a Local News Lab Fund advisory board member, added, “We know that information needs persist long after a disaster strikes, and these resources paired with NCCF’s matching support will better prepare communities for the next hurricane.”
The NC Local News Lab Fund was established at NCCF in 2017 by a group of local and national donors who believe in the importance of local journalism. Financial support also comes from Democracy Fund, the Prentice Foundation and Park Foundation. The Local News Lab Fund has awarded nearly $700,000 in grants to North Carolina organizations.
This story was originally published June 27, 2019 at 2:38 PM.