|
June 6, 2022 – Newark, NJ – NJ PBS, New Jersey’s public television network, announced that its news division, NJ Spotlight News, has welcomed a new reporter to its team, Robert “Bobby” Brier. Beginning today, Brier will contribute to the newsroom’s coverage, reporting directly to John McAlpin, Managing Editor of NJ Spotlight News. Brier’s new position will address NJ Spotlight News’ growing commitment to mental health reporting and is supported in part by the Report for America national service program. Additional support for the position is being provided through a grant from the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium.
“NJ Spotlight News is proud to be a host newsroom for Report for America,” said McAlpin. “Their support is helping to fill critical news gaps across the country with talented journalists like Bobby. He comes to us with impressive multiplatform news reporting experience, and a fresh perspective that will help us expand our coverage on the critical topic of mental health in areas that are often underserved, like rural New Jersey and beyond.”
Brier was most recently a multimedia journalist for New Mexico In Depth, where he covered the housing crisis across New Mexico, including the overall rise of homelessness and legislative efforts to invest in affordable housing and prevent evictions for low-income renters. Previously, he was a multimedia staff writer for The Scranton Times-Tribune, covering lifestyle topics, and also a journalist for New York University’s The Click News, producing podcasts and multimedia video content. He has a MA from the New York University Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and a BA in English from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.
Report For America is an independent national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. The program covers a portion of its selected journalists’ salaries and provides ongoing training and mentorship by leading journalists, peer networking, and memberships to select professional organizations.
The New Jersey Civic Information Consortium is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that funds initiatives to benefit the state’s civic life and meet the evolving information needs of New Jersey’s communities.
Major funding for NJ Spotlight News and the NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi newscast is provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the William Penn Foundation, the Fund for New Jersey, RWJBarnabas Health, NJM Insurance Group, New Jersey Education Association, Orsted, PSE&G, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ, The Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation and Wyncote Foundation. |
