Inform Muncie

Inform Muncie is a publication committed to collaborative storytelling. Its focus on inclusion means delivering an experience that gives voice to the untold, under-recognized, and unheard.Through the Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry at Ball State University, 16 students, under the direction of Juli Metzger and Melinda Messineo, and a community/professional advisory board, worked to find a solution to Muncie’s status as an emerging news desert.

The team developed a proof-of-concept prototype website and newsletter, a social media and promotion campaign, surveyed the community and developed a three-phase business plan build out. Although there are several media outlets in Muncie, as well as multiple student-run publications at Ball State University, many communities in Muncie are left with inadequate and/or inaccurate coverage in the local news report. Inform Muncie is a locally focused digital and free print publication that fills that gap in coverage using resources and materials already available through Ball State University.

While Inform Muncie’s main goal is to serve under-recognized communities, it also provides real-world, community-driven experience to Ball State University’s students. This unique experience provides invaluable skills in the many fields that journalism incorporates. It also provides a pathway to paid internships and future marketability for students, presenting a low-risk, high-reward concept.

Visit the Facebook and Instagram pages to learn more about this seminar.