Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation Award Will Help Little Rock Public Radio Increase Reporting in Communities Across Arkansas

The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation has awarded Little Rock Public Radio with $50,000 in funding aimed at fostering journalistic independence and collaboration in Arkansas.

The funding will bolster collaboration efforts among KUAR in Little Rock, KUAF in Fayetteville, and KASU in Jonesboro - the state's three NPR affiliate public radio stations - to support the production of high-quality, independent news reporting that informs and empowers communities across the region.

"This is a growing trend in public radio where newsrooms in a state or region have formed collaborative shared newsrooms to help eliminate the duplication of efforts and the strain of resources," said Jonathan Seaborn, general manager of Little Rock Public Radio. "I see this as an opportunity to explore how we can expand our collaborative newsroom efforts among the three NPR stations, which will eventually help us cover more ground in Arkansas and provide more news coverage for a greater number of communities in the state."

This award is part of a funding initiative aimed at helping provide more independent news coverage of the Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) population, which represents the growing number of individuals and families who are working but unable to afford basic necessities like housing, childcare, food, transportation, and health care.

A part of the funding will also be used to pay for reporters' travel expenses so that Little Rock Public Radio staffers can travel to more communities in Arkansas, especially those with limited access to local news coverage.

"This award is extremely impactful," Seaborn said. "You are seeing more philanthropic organizations come together to help fill the void in funding as more and more parts of the country become news deserts. The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation sees the shrinking of local, independent newsrooms as a detriment to society, and they are committed to keeping local journalism alive. We are extremely appreciative of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation for their continued support of Little Rock Public Radio and the positive impact this will have on Arkansas public radio."

Housed within the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education, Little Rock Public Radio, home of KUAR FM 89.1 and KLRE Classical 90.5, is a public service unit of UA Little Rock. University students gain professional experience by working as interns and part-time staff members who take part in all aspects of KLRE and KUAR operations with a specific focus on news reporting and broadcast production.