About Us
Our Mission
The Center on Media and Society, affiliated with the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies, is designed to bring the world of media and communication practice to the University of Massachusetts Boston campus, complementing and enhancing academic courses and research. To add to the university’s urban mission, the Center on Media and Society has identified unique contributions it hopes to make to the community at large.
The center began its work in 2004 by focusing on two themes:
- News Media and Political Power
- Ethnic and Community Journalism
Our Partnerships
To add to the university’s urban mission, the Center on Media and Society has identified unique contributions it hopes to make to the community at large.
The center places student interns with:
- New England Cable News (NECN)
- Boston-area newspapers
- American Public Television (APT)
- WUMB, our campus public radio station
- Government agencies
- Public relations companies
Inspired by New America Media, we have worked closely with that nonprofit organization on numerous projects, including
- A national research survey of ethnic media ("The Health of Ethnic Media: Needs and Opportunities")
- The regional New England Ethnic Newswire Awards (NEENA's)
- The national New America Media awards
- The national Ethnic Media Expo at Columbia University, among other projects
The Ethnic Media Project’s founding leaders were Ellen Hume, Bill Forry, Hiteshkumar Hathi, Henry Rafael and Yawu Miller. Today the project is run by a core group of ethnic media partners who are shaping its programs and direction, including the creation of New England Ethnic Newzwire (NEWz). Participants include media from the African, African-American, Armenian, Brazilian, Chinese, Haitian, Indian, Irish, Latino, Polish, Russian, and other ethnic groups of New England.
If you wish to join the project as a participating ethnic media partner, please contact Frank Herron, chief editor of the site and director of the Center on Media and Society.
Our Financial Support
All aspects of the project are done on a nonprofit basis and participation is usually free of charge.
NEWz is supported by numerous grants, including ones from
- The Boston Foundation
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation
- MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation
- Partners HealthCare
- The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation
- The Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
NEWz is actively raising funds to run the organization which is largely staffed by part-staff and numerous unpaid volunteers.