Targum earns $100,000 grant, aims to earn back U. funding

The Targum Publishing Company, which operates Rutgers' student-run, independent newspaper, The Daily Targum, accepted a $100,000 grant from the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium (NJCIC) in September, according to a press release.

The Targum is the only grant recipient based out of a university, though the New Jersey State House News Service and the Hammonton Gazette are also prime employers of student journalists.

Ayinde Merrill, program officer of the NJCIC, said the goal of the grants is to support and expand local news operations.

"We are so proud of the students for committing to the future of the Targum through their hard work today and for the vote of confidence in the organization afforded by this grant," Targum Academic Advisor Nicole Kotsianas said.

Brian Delk, the Targum's editor-in-chief and a School of Communication and Information senior, expressed enthusiasm and gratitude for the new funding.

"The New Jersey Civic Information Consortium's grant will help our staff for years to come," he said. "We are thankful to be chosen and help support our student journalists and innovate new ideas to inform one of the nation's largest student bodies."

Lilly Tea, the Targum's managing editor and a School of Communication and Information senior, echoed Delk, discussing the potential uses of the NJCIC's funding.

"This grant opens the door to so many possibilities within our organization to provide high-quality journalism to the Rutgers community while giving our student journalists a chance to develop invaluable skills for their future careers," she said.

Already, the Targum is adding new positions across multiple desks with the new grant, but this is not the organization's first collaboration with the NJCIC. The Targum was able to begin developing a new website in April after receiving another grant for $10,000 from the NJCIC, as previously reported by the Targum.

Ultimately, the independent, student-run newspaper seeks to regain University funding after losing it in a referendum in 2019. But until then, the Targum will have to grow its operations to win student votes in the future.

"We are so grateful to the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium for supporting student journalism and the next generation of media professionals in the Garden State," Targum Board President Jessica Durando said. "This grant allows our students to experiment, innovate and bolster news coverage at an unprecedented level."