This fall the Guild of Future Architects (GoFA) launched its pilot New/s Incubator, “designed to support diverse, member-led teams to articulate a shared vision for how their journalism projects will engage stakeholders—including audiences, participants, and funders.”

Led by Dot Connector Studio’s Jessica Clark, the incubator will run through early 2022, and involve GoFA’s signature learning programs coupled with new programs created by GoFA members. The curriculum was adapted to serve those who work in news and media.

The incubator is part of the larger three-year New/s initiative, which aims to help remake journalism “through surfacing and championing new visions from women, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC innovators for how reporting can serve communities whose stories have historically been suppressed.” Learn more about the initiative’s goals and the genesis of the project in Dot Connector Studio’s earlier research funded by the Ford Foundation.

Tayyib Smith’s The IF Lab Newsroom and Erin Michelle Washington’s HBCUx were the two projects chosen this year. Fellow GoFA member Christie George will serve as a mentor and advise on program design.

Clark writes, “We chose these two projects from a competitive field of applicants because they each are compelling and have the potential to inform other innovators across the country. We were looking for teams interested in bringing new people, processes, and power relations to the field, and these fit the bill.”

Read more about both projects and get a look behind the scenes here. Learn more about the New/s Initiative here.

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