OMAHA, Neb. (April 13, 2022) – North Omaha Information Support Everyone (NOISE), a community-led online news organization, has launched the Omaha Journalism Project to address and close the information gap within North Omaha and Nebraska by providing the community with equitable access to journalism and technology resources and training. 

AIM Institute, a nonprofit committed to growing a strong and diverse tech community, has allocated dedicated space at its downtown Omaha headquarters at 1911 Harney Street to NOISE for the Omaha Journalism Project. The program will help ensure that journalists have shared access to a podcast recording studio, green screen for film projects, computer lab for trainings and workshops and a community space for townhall meetings. 

“The Omaha Journalism Project is built to further our mission to expand, diversify and improve Nebraska’s journalism landscape,” said Myles A. Davis, Executive Director of NOISE. “This is just the beginning of a unique partnership forming in our community. Our hope is that businesses and universities can join the movement and offer their unique skill sets to build a network of community journalists.”

NOISE, in collaboration with Flatwater Free Press, is building a curriculum designed to broaden the journalistic base. Matt Wynn, Executive Director of Flatwater Free Press, said the lack of diversity in Nebraska media is visible through coverage.

“The stories we see — media's take on things happening — it’s all white,” said Wynn. “That means we miss stories altogether or take simplistic approaches to things that should be nuanced. Getting to the nuance is what Flatwater Free Press strives for, and a more diverse set of reporters, with varied backgrounds, will make that possible. We insist on trying to reflect all angles of an issue.”

Both free and low-cost training courses are being developed to launch in the summer. Journalism training topics being explored include social media, graphic design and photography. Instructors with the AIM Code School will develop a free technology course for program participants.

“Technology touches every career, including journalism,” said Itzel Lopez, Vice President of Advancement and Community Relations at AIM. “By providing technology training on skills such as web development, and through increasing the availability of digital resources, we can help NOISE bolster its commitment to strengthening information creation and sharing it across Nebraska.”

¬While there will be a rental cost to utilize the facility’s features, pricing will be offered on a sliding scale to ensure services are accessible across the region, regardless of one’s financial means. For rental inquires, email lab@noiseomaha.com. Organizations and educational institutions that would like to join the Omaha Journalism Project can contact NOISE Executive Director Myles A. Davis at myles@noiseomaha.com. 

ABOUT AIM INSTITUTE

The AIM Institute grows a strong and diverse tech community through education, career development and outreach. More information about AIM is available at aiminstitute.org.

ABOUSE NOISE

North Omaha Information Support Everyone is a community-led news organization developed to address the information gap within North Omaha. NOISE is a multimedia platform prioritizing web and social media while supporting coverage with radio, print, SMS alerts, and events to make news more accessible. For more information, visit noiseomaha.com. 

ABOUT FLATWATER FREE PRESS

The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraska’s first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter. For more information on Flatwater Free Press, visit flatwaterfreepress.org. 

This press release was relesed by the North Omaha Information Support Everyone (NOISE), a community-led news oranization.