Overview: The Journalism Innovation Hub + Fund was established in 2022 to support community news and foster more informed communities in the face of declining local news outlets. The Hub has given out grants to local newsrooms and one of its grantees is Black Voice News. The fund’s inaugural fellowship program began in July 2025 and assigns an intern to local newsrooms to get certified in five different areas: branded content, prospecting, appointment setting, presentation, and follow-up. Black Voice News selected Nyla Glover, a California State University of San Bernardino English major, to be its Hub + Fund fellow.
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The Journalism Innovation Hub+Fund was established in 2022 through the Inland Empire Community Foundation, and seeks to support community news and foster more informed communities in the face of declining local news outlets.
The IE Journalism Innovation Hub+Fund was founded in 2022 to support local and regional journalism and media and to build a pipeline of talent for the sector. The Hub has awarded grants to local newsrooms, including Black Voice News. The fund’s inaugural fellowship program, an idea suggested by BVN’s Director of Revenue and Audience Engagement Christen Irving, began in July 2025. Black Voice News selected California State University of San Bernardino (CSUSB) English major Nyla Glover as a Hub fellow.
Irving proposed the need for revenue capacity building in journalism due to the industry’s changing business model.
“There is a need for more people like me in my position…because it really created the capacity for Black Voice News to have someone that just focuses on how to bring money into the organization. I shared that idea with Dr. Brown-Hinds, and she felt like it was a great idea, and she shared it with the rest of the team, they shared the same sentiment. And so they decided to create this fellowship program,” Irving said.
The fellowship program assigns an intern to local news rooms in the Hub and is designed to operate on a 12-month system so interns can get certified in five different areas: branded content, prospecting, appointment setting, presentation, and follow up. At the end of the initial six months of the program, the outlets and their interns will have the opportunity to renew for the remaining six months.
“They’re supposed to be certified in five areas because I want to make sure, once they’re on their own, they are able to basically operate as I do, and then they’ll be able to go out, meet people, make presentations and build a pipeline of revenue for each outlet that they’re part of,” Irving said.
Irving first met Glover at a recruiting fair at CSUSB in 2024. Irving thought that Glover’s background as an English major and her desire to become an author, aligned with an interest in journalism, made her a good candidate.
Glover shared that, so far, the program has taken her out of her comfort zone by helping her to connect with people, build relationships and get over her anxiety. Attending the IE Policy and Philanthropy Summit was an enjoyable experience for her because she got rid of her nerves by talking to people and networking with them.
She also voices BVN audio stories at KVCR news and said it’s been fun to do and has influenced her to get into public speaking more. Glover said it’s also nice that her mom gets to listen to her recordings and that she can share it with her family.
“They’ve been very supportive of it. I come home and I tell them about all of the journalism and sustainability and all of the aspects of the program…So, my mom and dad have been really excited, really proud,” Glover said.
Glover will be graduating from CSUSB next year and plans to pursue her masters degree shortly after, as she doesn’t want to lose her momentum.