Networks

Networks is a private website created for fast-moving producers and stations with high volumes of digital content they need to share and store, such as broadcast and streaming audio, text, and images. Networks offers the opportunity to export content to the NPR API as well.

Networks are created for groups such as Local Journalism Centers (LJC) and stations collaborating across geographic regions. Networks provides for significant customization: it can accommodate logos, color-related branding and editorial and format categories that reflect the priorities of the stations and producers.

Stations control who has access and the Networks members only need one user name and password to access both Networks and PRX.org.

Storage

Networks provides unlimited storage of audio files, images, graphics and text.

Customization

While Networks is designed to be a platform with common attributes, functions and navigation useful to a variety of stations, each Network has some customization options:

  • Brand/logo – Networks can present an organization’s logo and graphics so it carries a station’s, an LJC’s or other collaborative group’s identity.
  • Colors – Networks can incorporate colors unique to an organization
  • Categories and Topics – Each Network can have unique categories and subject areas for editorially-relevant searches among stations and collaborators: eg. Geographic locations, subject area concentrations, format categories and more

Reports

All Networks have detailed and easily-to-understand reports tracking the uploads, downloads and participation of all members of the network. Networks administrators can account for story coverage by topic, reporter, station and air date and more – all useful data for funders and network participants.

Digital content

Networks accepts and stores a variety of digital content:

  • Audio formats: .wav, .mp2, .mp3
  • Copy formats: .txt
  • Image formats: .jpg, .gif, .png

All audio and image files exist in a preview mode so stations do not have to download the content to evaluate it value for local use.

Integration

Networks makes it possible for content to be exported to the NPR API as long as the stations owner has an API key. This is a powerful attribute that makes it possible for Networks to distribute select content to NPR, stations and anyone else who leverages the power of the NPR API.

What else?

Networks was designed for fast-moving producers and stations that have high volumes of content to share and store on deadline. It was built from the bottom up with the full collaboration of one of the most successful, multi-station, multi-state networks: the Northwest News Network, or N3.

All Networks content is searchable by topic, subject, format, type, producer, station and more.

PRX provides reliable and quick phone and email support for all Networks.

PRX will be making occasional upgrades and improvements to Networks with station input playing a key role in directing technical development priorities. Customized development is something PRX will consider on a case-by-case basis.

Who Uses Networks

PRX is proud to provide Networks for the following leading groups:

  • N3 – Northwest News Network which serves stations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and parts of California.
  • Harvest Public Media – This *LJC covers agribusiness in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska.
  • Changing Gears – This LJC covers issues related to the industries, emerging businesses and communities in Michigan, Illinois and Ohio.
  • Florida News Exchange – This ambitious project connects most of the public radio stations in the Sunshine State as part of three combined initiatives: linking and sharing work from newsrooms; providing the backbone for the Healthy State Initiative LJC and networking the stations for the NPR-directed StateImpact project.
  • EarthFix – This LJC links station coverage and curated content related to an issue at the heart of the Northwest: the environmental and extractive industries that provide so many jobs in the region.
  • PRX Nepal – This is our first overseas Network. There are dozens of non-commercial, local radio stations in the mountainous terrain of Nepal. They use PRX Networks to exchange stories, audio and images to bring listeners and producers together.

*LJC stands for Local Journalism Center

Fees

PRX has worked to make Networks affordable to every station. The annual fee for all current Networks services is a flat rate for 2012 of $250/station/year.