Delta Digital News receives grant to produce more regional content

Delta Digital News Service at Arkansas State University has received a $20,000 grant from the Fred Darragh Foundation in a bid to expand DDNS’s capacity to produce more news content regionally, help hire high school students to careers in journalism, and provide professional-level experience for ASU journalism students.

Delta Digital News Service was founded in 2016 as a working lab for undergraduate students to feed content to news organizations. This is the second gift that the service has received from the Darragh Foundation that provided a grant of $10,000 to help get the program started.

The lab is also an anchor project for Arkansas State University’s Media and Communications multimedia journalism program which has won several awards, including the 2020 Diamond Journalism Awards in June, sponsored by the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Dr. Brad Rawlins, professor and director of the School of Media and Journalism said:

“This is a great project that benefits communities, provides professional training for students, and provides quality stories for media outlets such as newspapers and radio and television stations. Without the support of the Darragh Foundation, I don’t think it would be possible.”

Terrance Armstard, multimedia journalism instructor and DDNS adviser adds:

“The gift of the Fred Darragh Foundation allows reporters at Delta Digital News Service to hone their journalistic skills as they report on the underserved communities of the Arkansas Delta Region.

“It’s really fantastic to see students bridging the gap between the university, area high school students and the communities in which they live.”