The PublicSource staff has been honored extensively for their 2022 and 2023 reporting, upholding a tradition of producing local journalism that is recognized in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and across the nation. 

While the team focuses on feedback from readers and impact of journalism as primary measures of success, we do appreciate acknowledgement in the form of awards. We thank the judges and teams who manage these contests for their time and generous feedback. 

PublicSource has received the following recognitions for our work in 2022 and 2023. This list will be updated to remain current through 2023: 

Local Media Association 2023 Digital Innovation Awards

• First place, best local website up to 250,000 unique monthly visitors
• Third place, best digital news project

A judge in the best local website contest wrote, “From deeply reported investigative pieces to charming first-person stories, spending time on PublicSource.org feels like a warm welcome to all things Pittsburgh – from the devastating to the inspiring.” 

Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute 2023 American Journalism Online Awards

• Honorable mention, best nonprofit news source

Judges noted, “PublicSource is a reliable, trusted, and authoritative source of information. The organization clearly puts the time and resources where it is most important: editing and reporting. PublicSource then presents its stories and other content clearly and directly, letting readers know what they need to know.” 

Pennsylvania Newsmedia Association 2023 Professional Keystone Media Awards

• Lenfest Institute Emerging Journalist Award for Emma Folts
• G. Richard Dew Award for Journalistic Service for The Red Zone by Emma Folts, Mila Sanina and Stephanie Strasburg
• Division 1: First Place in Feature Photo for Author Atiya Irvin-Mitchell poses for a portrait for her essay on purity culture by Stephanie Strasburg
• Division 1: Second Place in Podcast for From the Source, Season 4, episodes 1-3 by Jourdan Hicks and Liz Reid
• Division 1: Honorable Mention in Photo Story / Essay for The Red Zone by Stephanie Strasburg
• Division I: Honorable Mention in Enterprise Reporting for The Red Zone by Emma Folts, Mila Sanina and Stephanie Strasburg
• Division I: Honorable Mention in Feature Story for Validation is what one Pittsburgh Police Officer wanted from a little-used law by Rich Lord and Megan Harris (with City Cast Pittsburgh)

Pennsylvania Society for Professional Journalists 2023 Keystone Excellence in Journalism awards: 

• First place in Web Use: Daily for The Red Zone, Unbalanced and Faith, Race, Place by Natasha Vicens and the PublicSource Staff
• First Place in Graphic Photo: Daily or Non Daily The menstrual movement — a local youth perspective by Andrea Shockling
• First place in Photo Story: Daily for The Citizen Scientists of Crackerland: Armed with buckets and hunting plastic pellets, neighbors prepare for the petrol plant next door by Quinn Glabicki 
• First place in Podcasts for From the Source: Season 4, Episodes 1-3 by Jourdan Hicks and Liz Reid
• Second place in Business and Labor Reporting: Daily or Non-Daily for The Exempt Dilemma by Emma Folts, Charlie Wolfson, Punya Bhasin and Alexandra Ross
• Second place in Education Writing: Daily or Non-Daily for Draft policy would allow CMU police to use facial recognition technology by Emma Folts

Press Club of Western Pennsylvania 2023 Golden Quill Awards

• Winner in Excellence in Written Journalism, Business/Technology/Consumer Division 2 for Unbalanced by Rich Lord
• Winner in Excellence in Audio Journalism, News Feature for From the Source: Season 4, Episode 1 — Teens Changing the Rhetoric Around Youth Violence in the Pittsburgh Area by Jourdan Hicks and Liz Reid

The post PublicSource’s impactful journalism earns honors in local, state and national contests appeared first on PublicSource. PublicSource is a nonprofit news organization serving the Pittsburgh region. Visit www.publicsource.org to read more.

At PublicSource, our mission highlights producing journalism rooted in transparency. In reality, we extend our pursuit of transparency beyond our journalism to the way that we execute the work of our nonprofit news organization. 

To that aim, we would like to share information about our sponsorship program with you, our readers. You may have noticed that we’ve recently shared sponsorship messages from some organizations that support our mission. 

These messages have come in our PublicSource roundup email newsletter, the occasional email and recently, publication of sponsored content. 

We made the decision to accept sponsorships for several reasons: 

PublicSource is financially supported by over 20 different local and national philanthropic funders as well as over 1,100 individual readers, who we refer to as our members. We’ve worked hard over the last six years to build a diverse base of support that means we’re truly independent from any single source of funding. Accepting sponsorships is another revenue stream that allows us to continue to diversify our funding and grow our team to continue to cover the untold stories of Pittsburgh. 

Additionally, we hear from our readers all the time that they wish more people knew about PublicSource. Building relationships with local organizations is one way to help us get the word out about our work while helping other organizations get the word out about theirs. We are working to build mutually beneficial relationships that will help supporters of a variety of organizations learn more about assets in our community.

We want you to be aware that we have established standards for sponsorship, including: 

• Sponsors do not influence our editorial coverage. Sponsors work with members of PublicSource’s business partnerships team. If a sponsor has an idea for editorial coverage, we request that they personally reach out to the PublicSource editors to discuss their idea in the same way anyone would contact them. The business partnerships team does not facilitate editorial relationships. 
• All sponsorships are clearly marked as such. 
• Our staff reporters do not produce sponsored content and are not involved in the process of creating this content. Our editors may help to edit an advertisement or piece of featured content to adhere to PublicSource standards, but content comes from the advertiser or a freelance content creator. 
• We are offering free media sponsorships to local nonprofits who aren’t able to afford to pay for our services. We see this as aligned with our mission and a way of giving back to the community. 

If you see a sponsorship that is of interest to you, please consider learning more and supporting the organizations that are working with PublicSource. This is a way that you can support us outside of your membership and your readership, and we greatly appreciate your consideration for these organizations.

And, if you’re affiliated with a local business or organization that would find value in partnering with PublicSource, please drop a note to Tim Anderson, our business partnerships coordinator, at tim@publicsource.org.

The sponsors, members and foundations who value independent local journalism are the reason we continue to stay free and available to the public. Thank you for helping us continue to be Pittsburgh’s essential public source.

The post Sponsors support PublicSource’s nonprofit journalism appeared first on PublicSource. PublicSource is a nonprofit news organization serving the Pittsburgh region. Visit www.publicsource.org to read more.

The skill of working with fused glass and keen eyes for design are critical prerequisites for the husband-and-wife team who founded Camp Copeland Studio.

But rave reviews of their minimalist home goods aren’t enough.

“Finding the right mentors was essential for my business to grow,” explained Braddock-based studio co-founder Drew Kail. “Being able to tap into the mentors’ professional experiences and knowledge helped me fine-tune areas…which have allowed Camp Copeland Studio to expand to the next level.”

In the world of entrepreneurship, knowing the right people is still a crucial part of the process. Kail and his wife, Alyssa, founded Camp Copeland in 2015 and they said they’ve encountered “a lot of twists and turns for sure.”

“This is why having a community of other entrepreneurs is so vital,” Kail said.

Talpha Harris, founder and CEO of Pittsburgh-based business model assessment engine Sustainible, agreed that the right stakeholders are a key part of the business growth puzzle. That’s why the assessment she engineered — designed to give emerging business owners insights into their likelihood of success — includes questions that assess a founder’s access to a supportive network.

“The assessment involves a few questions about network and stakeholders because they bring so much knowledge and experience; the right ones help your business grow,” Harris said. 

“Having other people on your team in network, collaborator and stakeholder roles can help take the load off,” she said. “They can help source partnerships, employees, business partners or customers, all of which is needed to have a sustainable business.”

In a small city like Pittsburgh, it may seem easy to meet people, but until they’re connected to the right resources, some founders (particularly those who are not already a part of university-led networks) feel they are floundering. Harris suggested that emerging entrepreneurs put aside intentional time to meet people, even if it takes time to make headway.

“Integrate into circles and networks that are in your industry … go to that networking event that you were invited to. The more people who see your face frequently, the more they’ll recognize you the next time, and relationships build that way,” she said.

Ascender is a nonprofit focused on supporting Pittsburgh-area entrepreneurs from various industries by offering free community education on business topics, running a startup incubator and collaborative coworking space, and creating opportunities for connection and mentorship. 

Ascender’s executive director, Nadyli Nuñez, said many established business owners are eager to help narrow the gap between what founders have and what they need; learning to verbalize your needs is often a first step.

“If you can get people to believe in you and/or your business, they will make time to help you, “ she said. “It’s OK if you don’t have it all worked out, but you must start somewhere, even if it means first picking the friendliest face in the room.”

In an ongoing effort to convene potential collaborators, Ascender is launching a monthly networking series called Network & Grow. Entrepreneurs from varying industries — from health tech to retail — will have the opportunity to network, listen to lightning talks from established local founders and get a free coworking pass.

Network & Grow begins at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10 with a session on hardware and software. Ascender will host a total of 10 similar gatherings, which take place on the second Wednesday of each month at their coworking space in East Liberty.

Nuñez hopes the series brings to light the interconnected nature of business success. Kail agrees. “Entrepreneurship is not a solo venture. By building and growing small businesses together, the whole Pittsburgh region grows stronger,” he said.

The post ‘Not a solo venture’: How networking and mentorship factor into entrepreneurial success appeared first on PublicSource. PublicSource is a nonprofit news organization serving the Pittsburgh region. Visit www.publicsource.org to read more.

I’m wrapping up a fantastic first year as PublicSource’s Director of Loyalty Programs. People often ask me what I do in my role at PublicSource, so I thought I’d share how I spent my 2019 with you all, our readers and supporters.

I saw many of you out at community events, conferences and forums, onsite at local businesses and during one-on-one discussions. I met some of you using the PublicSource photobooth at Open Streets Pittsburgh (pictured above) and discussed what you’d like to see PublicSource do in the future. I’m always amazed by the passion our readers have for PublicSource’s coverage of Pittsburgh’s stories.

This year, I also worked with local organizations to design mutually beneficial partnerships. You may have recently noticed business and nonprofit sponsorships in our email newsletters. Our sponsors believe in the power of local journalism and support us financially or by helping us to access other resources. Look out for more creative partnerships between PublicSource and local organizations in the next year and please email or call me with partnership ideas.

I love that there are so many different ways for you to support the PublicSource mission: by reading, sharing our content on social media, buying products from our sponsors, attending our events or donating directly. Your support is what allows us to continue producing the news that can’t wait.

Please consider supporting the work that our talented journalists do in any way that feels right to you.

The post Inside our Newsroom: The passion of our readers (and fun photos too!) appeared first on PublicSource. PublicSource is a nonprofit news organization serving the Pittsburgh region. Visit www.publicsource.org to read more.