The Scope, a digital magazine run by students at Northeastern University, covers stories other Greater Boston outlets have ignored – News @ Northeastern

The Scope, a digital magazine run by students at Northeastern University, covers stories other Greater Boston outlets have ignored – News @ Northeastern

They have profile residents who live in Mission Hill, one of Boston’s most racially diverse neighborhoods. They have chronic nonprofit organizations in Dorchester that address gender inequality in science, technology, engineering, and math. And they have covered lack of access to healthy food in city neighborhoods.

North East students have been writing about these hot issues for over two years as journalists for The viewfindera digital news magazine that covers stories in Greater Boston that other media have ignored.

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“Our goal is to come in, listen and provide a conduit for stories that might not be heard by mainstream journalism and to transcend traditional community boundaries in a way that is helpful,” says Meg Heckmanassistant professor of journalism at Northeastern who mentors students writing for publication.

The viewfinder was recently named one of 45 media nationwide to receive Poynter-Koch Fellowship for Media and Journalism through a partnership with the Poynter Institute for Media Studies. The scholarship allowed The viewfinder to hire North East graduate Catherine McGloin to be the publication’s first full-time editor.

“We want to increase our web traffic, the notoriety of The viewfinder, and really crystallize who we are and what we stand for,” says McGloin, a 2019 Northeastern graduate with a master’s degree in journalism. “We want to deliver quality content and find those interesting stories that aren’t necessarily being heard.”

McGloin says The viewfinder is a great place for journalism students to gain first-hand experience reporting on complex issues. As part of the fellowship, she will study First Amendment law, media ethics, and storytelling techniques in training sessions led by professional journalists, then pass on what she learns to students who report for The viewfinder.

“At its core, it brings you into the community, asking important and sometimes uncomfortable questions,” says McGloin. “It exposes you to many different ideas, social attitudes, experiences and, as a journalist, it helps broaden your view of society and the world, which only makes you more receptive to new ideas.”

Heckman says she wants to expand The viewfinder to train people in the Greater Boston community to tell their stories.

“We are trying to grow The viewfinder in an organization that supports media and journalism education for people from underrepresented communities in the city of Boston and beyond,” says Heckman. “We want to see The viewfinder as a place where people whose voices and work have not traditionally been given the same value by mainstream journalism have the opportunity to learn these skills.

For media inquiriesplease contact [email protected].

Amanda P. Whitten