WATCH: Exploring the role of local forums to strengthen information, community and democracy

Forget what you know about the current infrastructure of digital public forums—listservs, Facebook Groups, Nextdoor. Done right, forums could be spaces where local journalism can thrive, build a real audience, and do the essential work of informing people on topics important in their lives, investigating corruption and malfeasance, and providing useful analysis. Unfortunately, the local forum is an oft-neglected area with a lot of potential upside for communities, local journalism, and American democracy. Watch this compelling discussion that asks us to imagine a wave of thriving, prosocial, public-spirited local forums, ones that are AI-enabed and community-led, and that increase community cohesion and resilience, while strengthening civic engagement and democracy. Speakers: Darryl Holliday, a local news strategist, organizer and journalist, is steward of the News Futures collaborative and an independent consultant. He co-founded the Pulitzer Prize-winning civic media lab City Bureau, where he orchestrated the development of Documenters.org in 11 cities. Eli Pariser, Co-Director of New_Public, is an author, activist and entrepreneur focused on making technology and media serve democracy. Eli previously ran MoveOn.org, co-founded Avaaz (now the world’s largest citizen’s organization) and Upworthy, and wrote the bestselling book “The Filter Bubble.” Leo Suarez, Founder/ Lead Moderator at The DTRaleigh… Read More

While there is general consensus among funders about the significance of the safety and security of journalists, many say that the actual implementation of safety and security measures is falling short. This discussion explores one compelling discovery from MIF’s latest research on the global journalism funding landscape: In a funder survey, when asked about motivations for supporting journalism, ensuring the safety and security of journalists ranked last. The safety of journalists is a global issue, not just confined to conflict zones or oppressive environments, and has worsened in recent years. Watch this compelling discussion featuring Adessium Foundation and the Committee to Protect Journalists:  Speakers: Ebru Akgün, Public Interest Programe Manager, Adessium Foundation; co-chair, Journalism Funders Forum, hosted at Philea Liz Baker, Senior Director, Humanity United (moderator) Katie Donnelly, Co-Founder, Dot Connector Studios Lucy Westcott, Emergencies Director, Committee to Protect Journalists This discussion was hosted in collaboration with the Journalism Funders Forum. Read More

The 2024 Media Impact Forum served as an important reminder that storytelling is the bridge we desperately need to foster understanding in a fractured world. Journalists and creators are on the front lines, crafting narratives that transcend cultural and regional boundaries. Their work is essential for promoting empathy and a more informed future. The Forum highlighted the crucial role of funders in supporting these efforts. Read More

How can news leaders and funders work together to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the journalism industry? In this MIF Member Briefing organized in partnership with the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), Inasmuch Foundation, The Joyce Foundation and the Pivot Fund, INN shared key findings from its latest DEI Index Report, which draws on survey responses and interviews with INN Network members to explore how DEI is reflected in the nonprofit news sector’s staffing and leadership, operations, engagement with underserved communities, and revenue patterns. Like the INN Index, the DEI Index Report aims to serve as a useful resource for the field, contributing to a much larger effort among journalists, researchers, funders and others to illuminate, discuss, innovate, and challenge the way DEI is and can be better reflected in the news industry. This session provided an overview of the research methodology of the DEI Index and key findings, as well as a discussion with newsroom leaders to share their experiences and observations on what’s needed to support DEI in news.   Speakers: Moumita Chakraborty, Director of Institutional Giving, Institute for Nonprofit News Susanna Dilliplane,… Read More

This member briefing was organized in partnership with the American Journalism Project and the Lumina Foundation. All members and supporters of Media Impact Funders have the opportunity to initiate and produce issue-related programming for their peers. Learn more about member briefings. Across the country, community-based philanthropic organizations are tapping into the promise of local news, recognizing it as an important civic institution that needs strategic, focused support. In February, the American Journalism Project announced the Indiana Local News Initiative—a new, statewide news initiative funded by $10 million from a coalition of Indiana organizations and philanthropies. The initiative already has buy-in from Indiana-based news outlets, and will help launch two new news operations, including a Gary-based newsroom led by Capital B. In this conversation, Sarabeth Berman, CEO, American Journalism Project, moderated a discussion with Michael Ouimette, Chief Investment Officer at the American Journalism Project, Kevin Corcoran, Strategy Director at the Lumina Foundation and Lauren Williams, CEO and Co-Founder of Capital B. The conversation detailed the successful fundraising efforts around the Indiana Local News Initiative and the launch of Capital B’s forthcoming newsroom in Gary, Indiana. Watch the recording:  … Read More

It was great to welcome Media Impact Funders members to our annual networking event at the Online News Association conference last week, here in Philadelphia. We always enjoy seeing colleagues who support journalism and greatly appreciate the hospitality of our friends at ONA. It was touching to hear from the organization’s new executive director, LaSharah S. Bunting, who acknowledged that it was just a short time ago that she was sitting in the room as a member, when she was on staff at the Knight Foundation, and how pleased she was now to be welcoming us all to her conference. Special thanks also to our partners at The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, who invited us to convene our meeting this year in their Lenfest Lounge at #ONA23. And it was an especially auspicious occasion for us, as we unveiled the new research project, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago in partnership with MIF and The Lenfest Institute, under the direction of MIF consultant Jennifer Preston. Great thanks to the MacArthur Foundation, Arnold Ventures and The Lenfest Institute for their financial support of this important project. The conference itself was a powerful display of the depth and breadth of innovation and impact carried out by… Read More

We had the pleasure of attending the inaugural edition of the DC/DOX Documentary Festival earlier this month in Washington, D.C. Two films stood out for their noteworthy depictions of the importance of public interest media and journalism: Bad Press and Breaking the News. “Bad Press” follows journalist Angel Ellis of Mvskoke Media as she battles corruption in the Muscogee National Council and works to restore freedom of press in the Muscogee Nation. “Breaking the News” traces the launch of the digital nonprofit news start-up, The 19th*, a women and LGBTQ+ led organization that reports on gender, politics and policy. We’re not in the business of giving spoiler alerts, but both films had us on the edge of our seats with their suspenseful representations of what it’s really like to challenge antiquated, patriarchal norms in the newsroom and beyond. We also saw two film’s by director Pete Nicks, Anthem and Stephen Curry: Underrated, before attending a panel in which Nicks spoke alongside fellow documentary filmmakers about the state of the industry. He illuminated an innovative funding opportunity: building equity pipelines back to the communities… Read More

The 2023 Media Impact Forum: Stories of Community served as an important reminder of the robust network of funders, storytellers, journalists, and others who understand the importance of media for healthy communities. Held at KQED headquarters in San Francisco, the Media Impact Forum focused on uplifting voices from the news outlets and media organizations that are deeply rooted in community. Uniquely positioned to reflect local concerns and surface appropriate solutions, media that’s created in and reflective of the communities it serves plays a vital role in our information ecosystem, providing the means for cultural expression, discussion, and debate. Read More

It was great to be back in Oxford, England, earlier this month for the Skoll World Forum, a unique gathering of donors and doers from around the world. From the opening courageous conversation between Carole Cadwalladr and Nobel Prize-winning editor and author Maria Ressa, one of the central messages of this year’s World Forum was on the dangers of attacks on press freedom and the corrosive impact of misinformation on all of the vexing issues undermining social justice around the world. Read More