FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 12, 2012
Contact: Tiffany McCallen
[email protected]
(Hartford, Conn.) — The recent launch of HartfordFAVS.com marks the fifth faith and values (FĀVS) community news site for Religion News LLC, the parent company of Religion News Service. The Connecticut-based site is a unique combination of professional and community-driven, daily content that covers all faiths, values and ethics through stories, blogs, panel questions, multimedia storytelling, social media forums and more.
Hartford Courant alum and award-winning reporter Ann Marie Somma manages the site.
“I’m very excited about the launch of Hartford Faith and Values and the opportunity to share stories and viewpoints of the Hartford religious community,” Somma said.
In addition to engaging religion reports and dialogue, HartfordFAVS.com also provide tools to help community members explore beliefs within and outside their traditions, including:
- A faith-based directory of houses of worship, businesses, organizations & educational institutions
- A calendar of community events and religious holidays
- Press release listings
- Obituary notices
The site takes over the former Creedible.com website, the first faith hyperlocal website in Connecticut, created by the current editor of SpokaneFAVS.com, Tracy Simmons. Content from Creedible, as well as some of its contributors, is part of Hartford Faith and Values.
HartfordFAVS.com was developed by Religion News LLC in an initiative to create local religion news sites in the U.S. where faith coverage is underreported or could be expanded. Its partners are the national Religion News Service, SpokaneFAVS.com (Wash.), WilmingtonFAVS.com (N.C.) ColumbiaFAVS.com (Mo.) and ToledoFAVS.com (Ohio).
RNLLC and RNS are headquartered at the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism. The community news sites are part of a $3.5 million grant from the Lilly Endowment.
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