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Media Impact Funders is pleased to announce that Nina Sachdev has been named Deputy Director of External Affairs. Nina has been an integral part of MIF’s leadership for the past decade. She joined the organization when it had just two full-time staff members and, as MIF’s first full-time communications director, helped build the organization’s voice, public presence, and member engagement strategy from the ground up. Over the years, she developed strategic approaches to storytelling and convening that elevated MIF’s profile and strengthened connections across the media funding ecosystem. In her new role as Deputy Director of External Affairs, Nina will take on an expanded portfolio focused on strengthening strategic partnerships, deepening member engagement, supporting fundraising and revenue strategy, and working closely with MIF’s leadership team and Board of Directors to advance the organization’s long-term vision. She will continue to play a central role in shaping how MIF connects funders across journalism, documentary, public media, and technology. “I’ve spent the past decade helping build Media Impact Funders alongside an incredible team, and I’m excited to step into this new role at a moment when the field needs strong connection and coordination more than ever,” Nina said. “As Deputy Director of… Read More

We are so heartbroken by the sudden passing of Jessica Clark, a longtime consultant, collaborator and friend to Media Impact Funders, and the founder and director of Dot Connector Studio. Jessica passed away on Oct. 28. Jessica’s work helped shape much of how we—and the broader field—think about media impact. As MIF’s former Director of Research and Strategy, she brought extraordinary insight and creativity to our collective efforts to help funders and practitioners better understand how storytelling drives change. In addition to the rigorous quality of her research and analysis, Jessica brought a whimsical style to her work—always balancing complex ideas with humor and imagination. She delivered lessons about media impact on laminated place mats, on brightly designed decks of cards, and even with a spinning dial, Twister-style—anything to bring ideas to life in a creative, joyful way. Jessica was instrumental in shaping MIF’s programming, including the relaunch of the Media Impact Festival in 2013/14, which celebrated storytelling’s capacity to strengthen communities and transform society. Her frameworks, tools and curiosity helped build a shared language for understanding how media moves people and inspires change. In the 12 years Jessica spearheaded Dot Connector Studio,… Read More

Last month in Charlotte, N.C., Media Impact Funders co-hosted a keynote conversation with Press Forward on the future of public media in a moment of profound change. With the federal government eliminating funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for the first time in more than 50 years, local public radio and television stations—especially those in rural, Tribal, and under-resourced communities—are facing immediate threats to their sustainability. Yet the conversation made clear: This moment is not only a crisis. It is also an opportunity to reimagine what public media can be. Moderated by MIF Board Chair Kayce Ataiyero, the panelists clearly articulated the value of public media and explored several questions around how to rebuild a system that can keep serving communities for generations to come. Luis Patiño, CEO of Austin PBS, noted, stations have always served entire communities across a lifetime, providing trusted journalism, educational children’s programming, music and arts coverage, and independent documentary film. “Public media serves the whole person,” he said. “Our value comes from our deep relationship with community, and that’s what makes new models possible.” For Ju-Don Marshall, Chief Content Officer at WFAE in… Read More

Last week, we welcomed Media Impact Funders’ new executive director Abby Rapoport with an online meet-and-greet for funders. The conversation, moderated by MIF board chair Kayce Ataiyero, was shaped by questions submitted in advance by funders, and offered Abby a chance to reflect on her career path, share what drew her to MIF at this moment, and outline her early priorities for the organization. The following is an edited Q&A from that exchange. Kayce Ataiyero: You’ve done a lot in a really eclectic and interesting career. Why MIF? Why now? Abby Rapoport:  I started as a journalist and that was kind of where I thought I would stay for my whole career. I loved being a reporter and I also was lucky because my career started at, what I didn’t realize at the time, was an extraordinary moment of change in the field. It was the very beginning of nonprofit journalism’s ascendancy. I was the first employee at the Texas Tribune. I got to see how that nonprofit was set up and started. Then I ended up working in publishing, and have been a small-scale publisher for the past… Read More

Dear Friends, I am thrilled to announce that the Board of Directors has appointed Abby Rapoport as Media Impact Funders’ next executive director. Abby was selected after an expansive national search conducted by Korn Ferry and brings to the role a diverse set of prior experiences as the co-founder of a media start-up, the head of a legacy media outlet, a media funder and a working journalist. She is currently co-founder and publisher of Stranger’s Guide, an award-winning publication that explores how politics, power and culture shape daily life across the globe. With a strong emphasis on the humanities, featuring short stories, creative nonfiction and photography, Stranger’s Guide aims to combat stereotypes and expand global citizenship. It has received four National Magazine Awards. Abby has extensive board experience, including having served on the boards of Type Media, the Texas Democracy Foundation and the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation. At the Rapoport Foundation, based in Waco, Texas, she worked collaboratively with other funders to build support for The… Read More

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is facing a potentially disastrous cut of federal funding in the wake of a Senate hearing last week on a White House proposal to make rescissions to federal spending for foreign aid and public broadcasting. The proposal would cut $1.1 billion in spending for CPB over the next two fiscal years, wiping out the federal support of public radio and television, long sought by conservative critics of public broadcasting. These rescissions are part of a larger piece of legislation aimed at cutting a total of $9.4 billion, mostly devoted to foreign aid focused on global public health, international disaster relief and alleviating hunger. A favorable vote by the full Senate is required by July 18 or the proposed spending reductions will fail to be enacted. At the same time, one of the most powerful and prominent voices in public broadcasting fell silent last week when Bill Moyers passed away at the age of 91. Moyers had been present at the creation in the Johnson Administration, in the role of Press Secretary and one of Johnson’s closest advisors, as American public media policy was being crafted. And he spent many… Read More

The media landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. Influencers aren’t just trendsetters anymore; they’re newsmakers who are reshaping how we consume and interpret information. With nearly 40% of young adults turning to influencers to make sense of current events, the lines between journalism, commentary, and influencer are blurring. How news is consumed and how stories are told represents a fundamental shift that is challenging the philanthropic community to confront a critical question: How can we ensure a future with truth-telling and a shared understanding of the world? Our 2025 Media Impact Forum addressed these dynamics and the implications of how audiences consume content on journalism, truth, and democracy. During our daylong showcase, we showcased the research, storytellers and projects that are redefining the way audiences engage with news and media. Below, you’ll find recordings of each session in chronological order so that you can watch any portion of the day. Bridging Impact: Nonprofits, Creators, and the Future of Digital Engagement Ashwath Narayanan, CEO of Social Currant, examines how nonprofits can harness the power of creator partnerships to reach and engage diverse audiences. This session spotlights actionable strategies and insights into navigating the rapidly evolving social… Read More

We’re just back from our annual trip to the Sundance Film Festival, and we have so many insights and ideas to share.   One insight in particular is worth calling out: the concept of narrative oceans, a framework developed by the Pop Culture Collaborative for understanding and influencing how stories shape our society. Narrative oceans serve as a powerful metaphor to describe the vast and interconnected web of stories, images, and narratives that shape our understanding of the world.  But “the hard truth is that large swaths of the narrative ‘ocean’ in which we currently swim are toxic — poisoned with terrible ideas about who we are, who belongs, and who does not,” writes Pop Culture Collaborative CEO Bridgit Antoinette Evans. “My question to you: In this toxic environment, what becomes of our imaginations? Our willingness to believe, to fight, to build something new? And if this generative superpower is destroyed, how can we possibly see the future that could exist beyond this messy, brutal chapter in America’s story?”  Right now, American democracy is at its most vulnerable because of the glaring, entrenched inequalities in our society. We have come to be defined… Read More

Position: Executive Director Location: Flexible in the U.S., with up to 33% estimated travel (U.S. and international) Reporting relationship: Board of Directors ABOUT MEDIA IMPACT FUNDERS Media Impact Funders (MIF) traces its roots back to the Council on Foundations, a longtime philanthropy-serving organization. Formerly Grantmakers in Film, Video & Television, MIF began on a volunteer basis in 1984 as an affinity group for funders interested in the power of film to highlight social issues. Reflecting changes in technology and media behavior over the subsequent decade, it was renamed Grantmakers in Film & Electronic Media (GFEM) and formally incorporated in 2008 to advance the field of media arts and public interest media funding. It had 45 members and was headed by former MacArthur Foundation Program Officer Alyce Myatt. GFEM was renamed Media Impact Funders in 2012 and has since expanded its strategy to include a broad range media funding interests such as journalism, immersive technologies, media policy and more. Since that time, MIF has grown to more than 120 organizational members representing some of the largest foundations and holds more than 40 in-person and online events yearly. Today, MIF represents changemakers in the media funding space, serving a… Read More

Angelica Das is an associate director on the Public Square Team at Democracy Fund. Last month, during our annual journalism funders gathering, Angelica led a discussion about how funders are supporting each other, their staff and their grantees at a time of intense anxiety around the election. If you’re feeling election anxiety, you’re not alone. The source of anxiety is unique to each of us: local vs. national election outcomes, navigating a deluge of mis- and disinformation, recovery from natural disasters, economic stress, or fear of physical and digital threats and harm.  Read More