APM's PIN Branches Out to ASU

American Public Media has established a bureau of its Public Insight Network in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. It is supported by a three-year, $250,000 grant from the Knight Foundation and matched by APM with CPB funding.

It is the first PIN "bureau."

In a story on the Knight Foundation's website, it is said:

"The new PIN bureau, located in a spacious newsroom at our school, is where Cronkite students will learn first-hand what engagement journalism is all about. They’ll work with news organizations across the country, helping them unearth stories, locate sources, ask questions, test hunches and provide important context to stories. They’ll also work on developing a new business model for PIN, exploring what kinds of services media outlets need and how those needs can be met."

PIN was created in 2003 and today now includes 80 newsrooms and 215,000 citizen contacts.

Rebecca Blatt, of WAMU will lead the PIN bureau starting later this month.