Reynolds Journalism Institute

What Reynolds Journalism Institute does

The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) is a non-profit journalism research and innovation institute housed within the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. Founded in 2008 (firmographics list 2004; the company history specifies 2008), RJI operates as a platform of fellowships, applied research, and open-source resources rather than a software product company. Its core offerings include the News Media Help Desk (a centralized hub launched in December 2025 with the Local Media Consortium and Knight Foundation for local newsroom sustainability), the Science Reporting Navigator (an interactive toolkit co-developed with The Open Notebook), the Innovation in Focus applied-research series, the RJI Momentum podcast, the Trusting News Project, and ongoing competitions such as Pictures of the Year.

RJI's portfolio of fellowship-driven products is unusually broad: Professional Innovation Fellows each receive $25,000 stipends (the residential fellow up to $100,000 plus a $5,000 monthly stipend) to build open-source tools such as Grants for Journalists (a searchable funding platform launched February 2026), Audacity Media Lab, Covering Immigration, Enter/Exit (trauma-informed visual journalism toolkit), the Arts Journalism Initiative, a Walking Tour Guidebook for Local Journalism, a Toolkit for Reporting on Substance Use, and Non-Traditional Newsroom Resources. Student Innovation Fellows are placed inside partner newsrooms such as Detroit Free Press and Mirror Indy.

RJI's business model is grant-funded and institutional: it does not charge customers for resources and does not generate software revenue. Revenue flows from foundation grants (notably the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation) and University of Missouri institutional funding, allocated across fellowship stipends, program operations, and content production. Distribution is digital (rjionline.org), via the Local Media Consortium partnership across North America, and through podcasts, newsletters, social channels, and events. RJI does not offer a traditional product with APIs, integrations, or proprietary technology platforms, and operates with a small staff (11–50 employees).

Name

Reynolds Journalism Institute

Legal name

Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute

Website

https://rjionline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute is a non-profit journalism research institute at the University of Missouri that runs fellowship programs, builds open-source toolkits, and operates services such as the News Media Help Desk for North American local newsrooms, funded by foundation grants and institutional support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Journalism Research and Innovation Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM, Digital Skills & Innovation Partnerships (EDADALAJ), Research Collaboration & Joint Labs (International Partnerships) (EDAIABAC)

Keywords

• Journalism innovation research
• Newsroom sustainability services
• Journalism fellowship programs
• Open-source newsroom toolkits
• Journalism education resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: RJI receives grant funding from organizations such as The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to support initiatives like the News Media Help Desk and fellowship programs.
2. Institutional Funding: As part of the University of Missouri's Missouri School of Journalism, RJI receives institutional support and funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) is a non-profit journalism innovation institute that funds and produces fellowship programs, open-source toolkits, and applied research for the journalism industry. It operates the News Media Help Desk in partnership with the Local Media Consortium, delivers Professional Innovation Fellowships with $25,000 stipends, and develops practical resources such as the Science Reporting Navigator, Grants for Journalists, Audacity Media Lab, and other modular toolkits for local newsrooms.

Product overview

The Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) is a journalism research institute at the Missouri School of Journalism that functions as a platform of programs, fellowships, and resources rather than a traditional software product company. Its core offerings include the News Media Help Desk (a centralized hub for newsroom sustainability), the Science Reporting Navigator (an interactive toolkit for science journalism), RJI Momentum (a podcast series), and the Innovation in Focus research series. RJI operates fellowship programs (Professional Innovation Fellowships and Student Innovation Fellowships) that produce open-source tools and resources including Grants for Journalists, Audacity Media Lab, Enter/Exit (trauma-informed visual journalism toolkit), Covering Immigration, the Arts Journalism Initiative, and the Walking Tour Guidebook. Additional programs include Trusting News, Aerial Journalism, Pictures of the Year competition, Collaboration Toolkit, and Source Auditing Tool. The institute does not offer a traditional product with user-facing integrations or APIs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RJI Momentum: A podcast series featuring conversations with news industry thought leaders about strategies and services for newsrooms
• Innovation in Focus
• RJI Insight
• News Media Help Desk
• Science Reporting Navigator
• Trusting News Project
• Student Innovation Fellowships

Products and services

• News Media Help Desk A centralized hub providing local newsrooms with access to essential resources, expert assistance, and fractional services to support digital sustainability. Launched in partnership with the Local Media Consortium and supported by a Knight Foundation grant.
• Science Reporting Navigator An interactive toolkit developed with The Open Notebook to help journalists integrate science into any beat. Offers three navigation modes: learning paths, topic exploration, and resource library with templates and worksheets.
• Grants for Journalists A searchable platform created by RJI Fellow Monica Williams to help U.S. newsrooms and journalists find funding opportunities, including reporting grants, fellowships, and foundation grants. Includes a section with consultants and coaches for hire.
• Audacity Media Lab Resource created by RJI Fellows Nicole Lewis and Lam Vo to help local journalists boost civic engagement through theory-of-change frameworks for journalism impact.
• Enter/Exit: Trauma-Informed Praxis for Visual Journalism Open-source toolkit created by RJI Fellows Sarah Blesener and Jennifer Jacklin-Stratton to equip journalists with tools and frameworks for ethical trauma reporting and visual storytelling with dignity and care.
• Covering Immigration Modular immigration journalism platform created by RJI Fellow Claudia Yaujar-Amaro providing story templates, ethical checklists, interview guides, infographics, and fact-checking resources.
• RJI Professional Innovation Fellowships Fellowship program providing $25,000 stipends for individuals or institutions to create practical solutions for journalism industry challenges. Fellows can complete the fellowship remotely and produce open-source resources.
• Student Innovation Fellowships Fellowship program for international master's students at the Missouri School of Journalism to work on innovative projects at newsrooms around the country.
• Innovation in Focus An applied research series exploring new technology, tools, and storytelling methods for newsrooms worldwide. Interviews experts, tests ideas, and provides monthly findings on different topics.
• Trusting News Project A program focused on helping newsrooms build trust with their communities through engagement strategies and practices.
• Pictures of the Year (POY) Annual competition and exhibition recognizing excellence in photojournalism.
• Journalism Digital News Archive (JDNA) Archive program focused on preserving and providing access to digital journalism content.
• Aerial Journalism (Drone Journalism) Program providing training and resources for journalists using drone technology in news coverage.
• RJI Momentum Podcast A podcast series featuring conversations with news industry thought leaders about strategies and services to help newsrooms navigate technology and audience behavior changes.
• Arts Journalism Initiative Resources developed by RJI Fellow Rebecca Ritzel including a state-by-state arts grant list, ethical guidance, and templates for soliciting philanthropic arts funding, along with a nonprofit to award arts journalism grants.
• Walking Tour Guidebook for Local Journalism Digital guidebook created by RJI Fellow Cara Kuhlman to help newsrooms engage in walking tours as a medium for local journalism, including frameworks for assessment and funding leverage.
• Non-Traditional Newsroom Resources Resources created by RJI Fellow Tara Francis Chan including a national landscape survey, database of non-traditional newsrooms, and guidebooks for innovative newsroom structures.
• Toolkit for Reporting on Substance Use Resource created by RJI Fellow Susan Stellin to help journalists shift from drug war framing to health-centered approaches, including surveys, reports, data sets, and research resources.
• Collaboration Toolkit Toolkit providing resources for newsrooms to collaborate on coverage and operations.
• Source Auditing Tool Tool for evaluating and auditing sources used in journalism reporting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Four Student Innovation Fellows selected annually, partnering with newsrooms around the country
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Local Media ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2025RJI partnered with the Local Media Consortium (LMC) to launch the News Media Help Desk, a centralized hub providing local newsrooms with essential resources, expert assistance, and fractional services to support newsroom sustainability.
• The Open NotebookcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025The Open Notebook partnered with RJI to develop and launch the Science Reporting Navigator, an interactive toolkit designed for local and community reporters to integrate science into any beat.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Local Media Consortium: Industry consortium providing shared services and resources to local news organizations. Direct partner of RJI on the News Media Help Desk and shares the same local-news sustainability mission.
• American Press Institute: Non-profit organization providing training, research, and resources to local newsrooms. Directly comparable in providing free, practical tools and research to journalists.
• Poynter Institute: Non-profit journalism institute providing training, resources, and innovation programs for journalists. Directly comparable in mission, target audience, and free-resource distribution model.
• Nieman Foundation for Journalism (Harvard): University-based journalism fellowship and research program with similar model of supporting journalists to produce meaningful work. Most directly comparable peer in terms of academic-affiliated fellowship structure.
• The Open Notebook: Non-profit organization supporting science journalists with resources and toolkits. Direct partner of RJI on the Science Reporting Navigator and shares the toolkit/resource development model.
• Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy (Harvard): University-based research center studying media, politics, and public policy with fellowship programs. Comparable academic-affiliated research and applied journalism work.
• Tow Center for Digital Journalism (Columbia): University-based research center focused on digital journalism innovation and the future of news. Strong overlap with RJI's applied-research and industry-reporting mission.

Emerging players

• Online News Association: Membership organization for digital journalists, providing community, awards (Online Journalism Awards), and professional development. Adjacent to RJI's innovation and professional-development mission.
• Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE): Non-profit organization providing training, resources, and community for investigative journalists. Adjacent in mission with significant overlap in training and resource development.

Broad incumbents

• Knight Foundation: Major funder of journalism innovation and local news sustainability. While a funder rather than operator, it is a key peer in the same ecosystem, funding many of the same kinds of programs RJI runs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/reynoldsjournalism
• Facebookfacebook.com/reynoldsjournalisminstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1300742
• Instagraminstagram.com/rji_mizzou
• Xx.com/rji

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Reynolds Journalism Institute