ABSTRACT
For years, university journalism programs have increasingly been supplying statehouse news as traditional newsrooms have slashed coverage of state government. Over time that coverage has increased at those bureaus, but as commercial newsrooms took further financial blows in 2008, universities were urged to also play a greater role in investigative and community news coverage. Journalism programs throughout the US had already had been slowly expanding their collaborations with professional organizations and several investigative reporting centers were operating at universities. Eric Newton, vice president of the journalism program at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation at the time, also espoused the idea of journalism programs as teaching hospitals in speeches and in an online piece. For decades, the University of Missouri School of Journalism, which has long extolled the virtues of practical work, has provided extensive and increasing local and state coverage of Missouri.
