The Dallas Morning News Journalism Innovation Endowment

Our Mission

The Dallas Morning News Journalism Innovation Endowment strives to be a leader in pushing media forward while educating students. Through a collective we call the Media Innovation Group, we bring students and professional news organizations together to develop new media initiatives through experiential learning projects. We value ethical journalism that better serves the community, no matter its size, shape or form.

Media Innovation Group Data Fellows

MIG has continued their work on the local campaign finances project, in which fellows will develop and build a searchable database of local campaign finances since 2020. Our student fellows Aislyn Gaddis, Karina Kumar and Olivia Dilley each work in different areas of research from collecting data to presenting it in a podcast format.

Meet our Data Fellows

two people speaking into microphone behind podium presenting research

Rural Journalism Pipeline Project

The Rural Journalism Pipeline Project is exploring the landscape of Texas community journalism succession, communicating the challenge based on case studies and research. It is funded through a grant by the IC²Institute.

Our Findings

Students attending the first meeting of the Investigative Reporters and Editors to hear a guest speaker discuss their work.

Investigative Reporters and Editors at UT

Investigative Reporters and Editors at UT, or IRE at UT, is a student organization that provides guest speakers and hands-on training for investigative reporting and other journalistic practices. It serves as a student chapter of the international non-profit, Investigative Reporters and Editors, which is committed to improving the quality of investigative reporting.

It is hosted in collaboration with the Media Innovation Group.

Learn More

Christian McDonald

Associate Professor of Practice

Robert Quigley

Professor of Practice and Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Who we are and why we innovate

Thanks to what is now known as Parks for Downtown Dallas, the Dallas Morning News Journalism Innovation Endowment was established in 2016. Robert Quigley was appointed Innovation Director to work with graduate and undergraduate students, founding several programs such as the Tiny Texas Podcast Festival and The Drag Audio Production House. In August 2020, Christian McDonald was appointed the Innovation Director and he now mentors multiple initiatives through what we now call the Media Innovation Group.