Rian Johnson
Associate Director Content Development & LFA and Intern Supervisor, C2C Partnerships
This June, Dr. Melissa Newman will take the national stage at INN Days 2025 in Minneapolis—the country’s largest gathering of nonprofit news leaders, funders, researchers, and civic innovators. The event comes at a critical time, as communities across the U.S. rally to rebuild local news ecosystems and strengthen civic infrastructure through initiatives like Press Forward.
Dr. Newman, who serves as Associate Vice President of Place-Based Partnerships: Sustainability and Executive Director of the Appalachian Cradle to Career Partnership, will join a panel of thought leaders exploring how local Press Forward chapters are transforming access to information and engagement in public life. Over the last 18 months, more than 30 chapters have launched across the country, uniting funders and community leaders around a shared vision: ensure every community has access to trustworthy, relevant information.
As Strategy Advisor to Press Forward Bluegrass in Kentucky, Dr. Newman brings a powerful blend of lived experience, academic insight, and community-rooted strategy to the table. Her career has focused on the intersection of education, civic engagement, and rural journalism—often in places overlooked by national media or underrepresented in public discourse.
One of the most innovative aspects of her work is the way she engages high school and college students as interns in rural newsrooms. These emerging journalist-advocates do more than report stories—they help strengthen civic participation and connect residents to the systems that shape their daily lives. By embedding these interns into local media, Dr. Newman is building bridges between journalism, education, civic life, and workforce development—all in ways that lead to greater economic and social resilience.
“When people are better informed and more civically engaged, they make better decisions for their communities,” Dr. Newman said. “This multi-faceted approach makes our people and our places stronger and more resilient.”
Joining her on the panel are Duc Luu, Director of Sustainability Initiatives at the Knight Foundation, and Tim McMurphy, Program Officer at the McKnight Foundation. The session will be moderated by Melissa Davis, Managing Director of Press Forward National.
With more than 425 attendees expected, INN Days 2025 promises to be a powerful space for sharing ideas and strategies to support local journalism and civic health. Dr. Newman’s message—that local news can be a vehicle for empowerment, connection, and long-term prosperity—is especially timely for rural communities working to create a stronger future from the ground up.
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