Program to train future community newspaper owners picks first five fellows for its new online master's degree program

Left to right: Andrew Weiler, Tony Baranowski, Miles Layton, Becky Pallack and Crystal Good.

NewStart, a program that aims to find, train and support buyers for community newspapers, has given fellowships to five journalists for a new one-year online master's degree program at West Virginia University's Reed College of Media, according to a WVU press release.

Jim Iovino, director

"Current events and economic conditions have created an environment conducive for learning and growing as a media entrepreneur," said NewStart director Jim Iovino. "There is still a great need for credible local news outlets in this country, and the coming year will likely see a lot of innovation in the media industry."

The degree is in media solutions and innovation. "This new online master’s program examines new business models during this time of forced innovation, and the NewStart fellows are diverse in geography and professional experience, allowing for a rich educational atmosphere," Iovino said.

The inaugural NewStart fellows are:

• Tony Baranowski, local media director for the daily Times Citizen in Iowa Falls, Iowa.
• Crystal Good, founder and CEO of Mixxed Media in Charleston, W.Va.
• Miles Layton, editor of the Perquimans Weekly in Hertford, N.C.
• Becky Pallack, product manager at the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson.
• Andrew Weiler, an entrepreneur and digital media producer from Wahkiakum County, Washington.

NewStart is a partnership of WVU and the West Virginia Press Association, which was prompted by older members who want to sell their weekly newspapers but can't find buyers. The Knight Foundation funded the fellowships; applications are still open for the degree program.