PRX 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. A simple UI and upload process expedites the sharing of this content. Networks offers the opportunity to export content to the NPR API as well.

Networks is perfect for groups such as Local Journalism Centers (LJC) and stations collaborating across geographic regions (see who is currently using Networks). 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.

Each network defines who has access to their content. Networks members use the same username to log into 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, .doc, .docx
  • 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 station 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 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 Currently Uses Networks

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

  • New England News Network Exchange (NENNX) - Seven New England stations share station-produced content that is relevant across the region.
  • 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, and Nebraska.
  • Changing Gears – This LJC covers issues related to the industries, emerging businesses and communities in Michigan and Illinois.
  • 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.

*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 of $350 per station in the network per year. The fee will be billed to and collected from the main station that is owning and managing the network.