WATCH: Addressing the impact of Big Tech
It’s impossible to live in the digital world without engaging with Big Tech. These behemoth information technology companies—Apple, Google, Facebook, etc.—influence all facets of life, impacting us in ways we are only just starting to understand. While these platforms are making good on the promise of keeping us connected, the effects have been catastrophic. Turns […]
Media impact and polarization: Science-focused film series offers lessons on breaking through the noise
How do foundation-funded media projects need to rethink their storytelling and distribution models in order to break through in today’s polarized environment? In this guest post, communications strategist and filmmaker Christine Arena of Generous Films shares key insights for funders from the novel approach behind Let Science Speak—a multi-media campaign designed to counter anti-science propaganda […]
WATCH: The 2020 Journalism Funders Gathering
Last week, we convened our peers for our annual journalism funders gathering to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing journalism—and our nation—today. We hope that our two days of programming and breakout sessions introduced you to new people, new ideas, and a new way forward. We are so grateful to the Jonathan Logan […]
MIF is launching a working group focusing on impact
To further explore issues related to media impact and assessment, MIF is forming a working group of funders who want to strengthen the field of practice. Here’s a bit of background on how we arrived at that decision: MIF has been regularly tracking the field of media impact assessment for the last eight years. Every […]
Teacher trainings, foldable microscopes & water testing kits: How “Inventing Tomorrow” is extending its life long after release
As parents and teachers around the country adjust to a new year of largely remote schooling, many are looking for resources to teach effectively about a variety of topics. In the absence of hands-on science classes, parents and teachers can turn to the educational impact campaign associated with “Inventing Tomorrow,” a Peabody Award-winning film that […]
Member spotlight: John Templeton Foundation
Media Impact Funders: The John Templeton Foundation has provided support for radio shows and podcasts such as On Being, The Science of Happiness, and Everything Happens as a means to explore life’s biggest questions. What are some takeaways from that support? David Nassar: One takeaway is that there is a real thirst for conversations that […]
How evaluation perpetuates inequity (and how to stop it)
As protests for racial justice continue in cities across the U.S., more and more institutions are publicly reckoning with their own roles in perpetuating systemic racism. In the journalism space, a debate about the concept of objectivity is raging: whose view is considered “objective”? Do “both sides” of an issue always demand equal weight? Some […]
WATCH: The COVID-19 origin story is a case study for understanding the need for evidence-based communications
Last week, Media Impact Funders hosted a webinar about the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic and implications for media and philanthropy.
Lessons from our nation’s founding particularly relevant amid COVID-19
Sometimes, at Media Impact Funders, we find that we are slightly ahead of our time. Looking back on our programs for the Media Impact Forum in 2018, we are struck by how much of what we heard then resonates clearly in this peculiar moment we find ourselves in.
Media Impact Funders to expand philanthropy’s understanding of evidence-based communication with support from the Rita Allen Foundation
Media Impact Funders (MIF)—which advances and catalyzes the work of a diverse range of funders committed to media that informs, engages and inspires—has received a two-year $150,000 grant from the Rita Allen Foundation to expand the knowledge and capacity of funders supporting evidence-based communication.
How does this make you feel? How emotions compel us to act—or not
Now more than ever, we are experiencing a range of emotions based on the media we encounter. Sometimes, these emotions lead us to take action—for better or for worse.
WATCH: Science journalism & going beyond the data
Scientific inquiry is being challenged as never before, and science denialism is increasingly prevalent, as efforts to propagate misinformation and disinformation grow more prominent. To reclaim and support the essential role of science in our society, funders are continuing to respond with a variety of grants that support the communication of science. In this webinar, […]