Dear Friends & Supporters,

Spoiler Alert: BINJ will launch a badass crowdfunding campaign in a few weeks to rally support for a significant team investigation of state contracts in Mass. We have been working on the project for six months already, and just secured grant funding from the Online News Association (ONA) to collaborate with our document-digging friends at MuckRock and the Emerson College Engagement Lab. We can’t wait to show you what we’re planning, but for now you can check out some details of the opportunity in our “UPDATES” section below.

-Chris Faraone, Editorial Director

UPDATES

The grant announcement:

13 universities to experiment with local news collaboration with $430,000 in funding through the Challenge Fund for Innovation in Journalism Education …

Plus check this out:

We also have great news about BINJ contributor Sarah Betancourt, who was selected by the New England First Amendment Coalition Board of Directors to attend this year’s New England First Amendment Institute.

NEW FEATURES

CRIPPLED EPISTEMOLOGY

Boston researchers have spent years helping government agencies plan and simulate operations to troll potential terrorists. Despite controversial practices and lackluster results, the covert operations continue.

ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE

An indicted journalist reflects on conspiracy in today’s America

(via the Santa Fe Reporter, which recently launched its own nonprofit incubator, the New Mexico Fund for Public Interest Journalism, using the BINJ model)

SHORTS + COLUMNS

APPARENT HORIZON

Homelessness is not just a big city problem in Mass

BOSTON CITY HALL

Mayor Walsh’s Islamophobia campaign won plenty of press, but had little impact

BINJ is working on several new projects, but we still need to do more. Remember - when you back local journalism, you back all your favorite causes at once.