University of Vermont senior Jennie Mull is writing for The Valley Reporter until late August through the Community News Service program.
The program is a statewide initiative to bolster local journalism by training student reporters to write articles for Vermont newspapers.
"Strong local news goes hand-in-hand with a strong local democracy. These students want to get out there and help tell the stories of these communities," said Cory Dawson, the editor of the Community News Service.
Mull is one of 15 student reporters contributing to Vermont newspapers this summer. During the school year, the program has around 50 students, wrote Dawson.
According to the Center for Research on Vermont, Vermont newspapers lost 100 reporters in the past 15 years. The Community News Service seeks to reverse this loss.
“The service is free of charge and is designed to guard against the effects of news deserts left from contracting newspapers, as well as to train the next generation of journalists,” wrote Dawson.
Mull’s first piece for The Valley Reporter covered the 2021 Harwood Union High School graduation. She’s eager to assist The Valley Reporter by digging into environmental and social justice stories.
Mull is a student at the University of Vermont and a reporter for the Community News Service, a student-powered partnership with local community newspapers.
