A new reporting network headquartered at the University of Missouri School of Journalism is receiving national attention, including a feature on NPR.

The story is adapted from a five-part multimedia series by the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk that looks at the impact of increased rainfall in the region.

Launched last year with a $1.4 million grant from the Walton Family Foundation, the Ag & Water Desk is a collaboration between the J-School, Reynolds Journalism Institute, Report for America and more than 10 other organizations and newsrooms around the country. The Desk’s network of reporters investigates complex issues facing communities in the river basin – a massive area stretching from Idaho to New York and Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The series, “When it Rains,” is the team’s first collaborative project.

The Ag & Water Desk puts students at the center of important issues facing our country. It’s part of our commitment to the Missouri Method of experiential learning that makes a difference.

— Mun