Jason Pramas

Jason Pramas (b. 1966 in Boston, Massachusetts)[1] is an American photojournalist. Pramas is executive director of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism (BINJ), which he co-founded with Chris Faraone in 2015,[2] and has been editor-in-chief of its statewide, digital, news outlet HorizonMass since it launched in August 2023.[3] He was formerly executive editor and associate publisher[4] of the alternative newsweekly DigBoston until it folded in June 2023.

A socialist, and longtime labor and community activist,[5] one of Pramas' first ventures was the alternative news agency New Liberation News Service, restarted with original Liberation News Service co-founder "Ray Mungo's blessing" (which originally operated from 1967 to 1981). Pramas and "a group of younger radical journalists ... publish[ed] NLNS from their offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts."[6] New Liberation News Service operated from 1990 to 1993, according to the biography accompanying the special collection of his publications at Cambridge Public Library.[7] Pramas left to launch As We Are, "a 10,000 circulation for-profit national magazine for working young people" that ran from 1993 to 1996.[8] Pramas then formed Ronin Publishing with his brother Chris Pramas and a mutual friend in early 1996; Jason Pramas left the company before long to focus on journalism.[9]

As executive director of Campaign on Contingent Work, Pramas was the lead organizer of the Boston Social Forum in 2004.[10][11] In 2008, Pramas founded Open Media Boston,[12][13] an online metropolitan newsweekly serving the Boston area, serving as its editor/publisher until merging the publication with BINJ.

He holds an MFA in Visual Arts from The Art Institute of Boston,[14] and is noted for curating the 2014-2015 Boston Strong? art show that criticized the racial overtones of the popular Boston Strong slogan.[15][16]

He was formerly an assistant professor of communications at Lesley University,[17] but has stated that he believes he lost his job[2] in retaliation for helping lead a successful drive to organize Lesley core faculty into a labor union in 2015.[18][19]

In 2018, Pramas' column Apparent Horizon won first place in the Political Column category (circulation 40,000 & over) of the annual Association of Alternative Newsmedia Awards.[20]

  1. ^ Jason Pramas publications, 1988-2016. Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge, Mass. OCLC 974926067. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b Pramas, Jason (July 6, 2015). "Open Media Boston's Jason Pramas Joins BINJ Leadership Team". Open Media Boston. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  3. ^ "Jason Pramas on HorizonMass, a news nonprofit that brings students and professionals together". Media Nation. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Masthead". DigBoston. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  5. ^ Faraone, Chris (May 26, 2011). "Open for change". The Phoenix. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
  6. ^ "Liberation News Service". Connexipedia. Retrieved Jan 28, 2024.
  7. ^ Jason Pramas publications, 1988-2016. Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge, Mass. OCLC 974926067. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  8. ^ Jason Pramas publications, 1988-2016. Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge, Mass. OCLC 974926067. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  9. ^ Appelcline, Shannon (2011). Designers & Dragons. Mongoose Publishing. ISBN 978-1-907702-58-7.
  10. ^ Bombardieri, Marcella (July 29, 2004). "Activists appear to save anger for NYC". Boston Globe. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  11. ^ Dodero, Camille (July 23, 2004). "DEPT. OF PROGRESSIVE POWWOWS: Boston Social Forum". The Phoenix. Archived from the original on 4 April 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  12. ^ Kirchner, Lauren (November 8, 2010). "Local Ad Networks Bring Home the Bacon". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
  13. ^ MacDonald, Evan (Sep 20, 2011). "Open Media Boston: Boston news and progressive commentary". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  14. ^ Hill, Shawn (June 26, 2013). "Thesis Show Round-Up #6: Art Institute of Boston MFA Grad Exhibit". Big Red and Shiny. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  15. ^ Stuck-Girard, Christophe (April 15, 2014). "In the Face of Everyday Tragedy, Boston Strong Must Be Stronger". Esquire Magazine. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  16. ^ Catelluccio, John (April 19, 2014). "'Boston Strong?'". The Salem News. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  17. ^ "New Faculty Profiles, Kimberly Ruegger and Jason Pramas, Business Management and Communications". News from 29 Mellen, newsletter of the Lesley University College of Arts and Sciences. August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  18. ^ Feijos, Sara (March 5, 2015). "Lesley University professors fight 'poverty wages'". Cambridge Chronicle. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  19. ^ Levy, Marc (May 20, 2015). "Full-time Lesley faculty join union project in 81-56 vote, following adjunct successes". Cambridge Day. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  20. ^ "BIG DIG WINS". DigBoston. 2018-07-31. Retrieved 2018-10-06.