What You Will Find on the Pulitzer Center's New WhatsApp Channel

The world can be a difficult and complex place. We know that some people are overwhelmed by the amount of news they're seeing, while others don’t feel informed enough.

Which is why we are so proud, and more than a little excited, to launch a new channel on WhatsApp.

Our community will be called The Hive—Powered by the Pulitzer Center. 

A year ago this month I joined the Pulitzer Center as director of editorial programs. What a whirlwind it has been over 12 inspiring months.

I wrote on LinkedIn recently that the Pulitzer Center is like no other organization I know. Its commitment to and strategy around breakthrough journalism—centering audience impact as part of the reporting process—is inspiring and unique. We believe that stories, and storytellers, have the power to change the world.

We believe in public interest journalism and supporting underreported issues that speak to the most urgent questions of our time.

We believe that civic engagement, education, and outreach are all critical ingredients for impact journalism.

We believe in responding to audience needs and forming a global and collaborative community.

During my orientation week, I spoke to our formidable IT and security manager, Ash Guevara. It was he who sparked the idea that became The Hive.

Origins of The Hive

ASH SAYS: As the brains behind IT at the organization, I felt a bit removed from the journalism and audience engagement work the organization does on the day-to-day.

My boss challenged me to find a non-operational project that would weave in my IT expertise.

I had to think about this, and I landed on the idea of creating a new way to reach more global audiences.

My dream is that the Pulitzer Center is known and accessible worldwide. That's when it hit me: We need to be in people's messaging apps! It is a key tool for sharing quick news bites that tracks across all age groups, and WhatsApp is the app of choice globally. From there, the rest is history! I brought this idea up to Rozina Breen, who paved the way in wrangling staff and organizing the scaffolding that this project stands on. I’ve never felt more woven into the tapestry of what this organization represents. I hope we amass thousands of followers and that those followers enjoy the ride as much as we do!

Of course it’s been a mammoth team effort, too. We took the time to conduct research, assessing the audience and platform fit for Pulitzer Center stories. Our Communications team has been phenomenal in terms of the brand, content, creativity, and style. We have innovation and collaboration running through our veins, and always at the heart of our thinking is you, the audience.

Why this matters to us

The Pulitzer Center champions the power of stories to make complex issues relevant and inspire action. This mission of changing the world through storytelling would not be possible without our audiences.

In an age of misinformation and AI slop, we believe that connecting directly with audiences is more important than ever. Good journalism isn't just about the facts, it’s also about community and collaboration. Through The Hive, we’re excited to build a more personal conversation with people who care about journalism and global issues.

“In the five years since launching the Center’s global engagement programs, we have been experimenting with new ways of meeting audiences where they are with stories that matter. We are thrilled to launch a brand new audio product on WhatsApp to respond to the ways that audiences are engaging with journalism, and we hope to build meaningful relationships with younger generations of news consumers. We look forward to learning alongside our audience and sharing what we learn.” 

— Sarah Swan, director of media and external affairs

What can you expect to find on our WhatsApp channel?

Every week, we’ll bring you a curation of hand-selected stories that tell you about the world from a deeply human-centered perspective. You'll hear underreported stories about the climate and the environment, human and civil rights, gender, science, big tech, and health.

Expect stories that surprise you, inspire you, or unlock something new: audiograms (think micro podcasts!) of our reporting, world-class photography, and a sneak preview into what went on behind the story.

From ancient fungi to artificial intelligence, cults to climate, AI to the Amazon, join The Hive to discover the stories quietly shaping our future.

The world is a complicated place. We’re here to break it down for you.

We want this space to be a conversation that stays with you.

And we hope you will share The Hive with your people.

Here’s how to join!

Visit the link to join, or scan the QR code below.