We are thrilled to announce the launch of a new website, a news source tailor-made for one of the most diverse states in the nation.
Our new site, Mosaic, which can be found at Mosaic.NJ.com, will focus on New Jersey’s rich cultural diversity to strengthen bridges that connect our communities. We’ll talk about our differences so we can better understand each other and share the things that bring us together.
Created by NJ Advance Media, the new site will give readers news and information about communities of color, the LGBTQ community, veterans, people living with disabilities and others who contribute to our state’s magnificent mosaic.
“The unique mission of Mosaic to celebrate diversity, amplify diverse voices, and bring New Jerseyans together is exactly what we need more of in our state. Embracing New Jersey’s diverse communities and expanding those audiences is not just a commitment, but a responsibility,” said NJAM President Steve Alessi.
“With Mosaic, we want to illuminate every aspect of our state’s vibrant story, so that every voice is heard and celebrated,” Alessi said.
On Mosaic you’ll learn about your neighbors, but also about where to find the best Bibimbap or Chicken Biryani. We’ll tell you about the latest Latino superhero or local Puerto Rican business. Worried about diseases that disproportionally affect the Black community? We’ll write about those, too.
We’ll write about why some schoolchildren will celebrate Eid al-Fitr this spring and why Chinese New Year happens in January or February.
“It is our goal to explore issues and events that help citizens connect with each other,” said Ronnie Agnew, general manager for NJ.com. “We have so much to learn about our various and almost innumerable cultures. That’s exciting to me. It means the learning never stops. I don’t believe there’s anyone out there better suited to do this than we are.”
We have some help with this endeavor, as we’ve created several partnerships with other ethnic media sites in New Jersey. We’ve agreed to support them by sharing and promoting their news stories and have asked them to support us. This way we can cover more ground, visit more communities and tell more of your compelling stories.
Clyde Hughes, editor and publisher of Front Runner New Jersey, a site that highlights people and events in South Jersey, is eager to be part of Mosaic. “We have found that there are a lot of great stories in the Black and Latino communities,” Hughes said, “and we’re excited to share them with a greater audience at Mosaic.NJ.com.”
We all know the issues in these communities are important to you because they resonate with our diverse staff. The idea for Mosaic was born out of a discussion among journalists in our newsroom. We wanted to write more stories about our own communities and amplify voices often muted in the media.
“We wanted to create something special that would elevate New Jersey’s diversity by highlighting its people who together represent the rich tapestry comprising our varied backgrounds,” said Enrique Lavín, a senior editor and co-chair of the company’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. “We believe our readers will enjoy Mosaic as much as we’ve enjoyed building it for them.”
Mosaic’s staff is particularly interested in sharing the stories of those who’ve come to New Jersey from around the world. After California, New Jersey has the highest percentage of foreign-born residents. Most are from South and Central America, and Asia, but our residents come from across the globe. As a result, more than 190 languages are spoken in our schools and nearly 60% of New Jersey’s public school students are Black, Latino or Asian. We also are home to the most diverse city in the nation: Jersey City.
We’re diverse in so many other ways, as well. Nearly a million New Jerseyans have at least one disability, more than 300,000 are military veterans and more than 340,000 identify as a member of the LGBTQ community, according to the Movement Advancement Project. We have more than 545,000 Jewish neighbors, making us the state with the third-highest percent of Jews, and more than 321,000 Muslims, which makes us the state with the fourth-largest Muslim population.
New Jersey will only become more diverse as time passes. According to 2020 census data, mixed-race Americans are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. The number of individuals who identify as multiracial has increased by an astounding 276% percent. That change is in part how we identify ourselves on forms but also an indication of societal change.
We all carry many different labels, which makes our state even more beautiful and our residents more fascinating. Mosaic will explore, explain and celebrate all of our diversity.
Welcome to Mosaic. You can follow us on Instagram at @MosaicNJcom and on Facebook at MosaicNJcom.