News & ResourcesResource Library

Our resource library includes frameworks, research, tip sheets, case studies and more to help you think through how to do your work more effectively.

Please check back frequently as we continue to build out these materials. Is there a resource you'd like to see? Contact Shannon Thomas, Manager of Member Engagement: shannon@mediafunders.org.

Resource Library

Best Practices for Supporting Elections & Democracy Reporting

In a session from the 2023 Journalism Funders Gathering, Angelica Das, Director of Equitable Journalism at Democracy Fund, shares best practices for supporting elections and democracy reporting. Drawing on data from a community listening project with Democracy Fund grantees, Das outlines concrete ways funders can shift their approach to…
Source: Democracy Fund
Journalism
Best Practices for Supporting Elections & Democracy Reporting

Climate Media Database

Updating compendium of philanthropically-supported climate media
Source: Media Impact Funders
Film  •  Interactive Media  •  Journalism  •  Journalism Education  •  Photography  •  Print Media  •  Public Media  •  Public Policy  •  Radio/Podcasts  •  Safety  •  Social Media
Climate Media Database

Communication Matters

One of the original models from the Communications Network, this framework was built on extensive research across the social sector to support communication practitioners. Informed in part by communications leaders in philanthropy, the model organizes communications attributes across four key dimensions: Brand, Culture, Strategy, and Action. Use This Guide To:…
Source: The Communications Network
Film  •  Interactive Media  •  Journalism  •  Radio/Podcasts
Communication Matters
Members Only

Four Station Leaders on Supporting Public Media Through Its Most Significant Shift in Decades

At our second network meeting in Dec. 2025, public media station leaders from communities across the country shared what they’re experiencing on the ground, what they need to move forward, and how funders can most effectively engage in the wake of Congress’s July 2025 vote to rescind federal…
Source: Media Impact Funders
Journalism  •  Public Media
Four Station Leaders on Supporting Public Media Through Its Most Significant Shift in Decades
Members Only

From Pop Culture to Public Benefit: Funding Entertainment that Creates Change

Our Nov. 2025 network meeting featured a discussion with Luminate’s Kristel Muciño, Cinereach’s Candice McFarlane, and Common Era’s Yonah Schiller on how philanthropy can strategically engage in the public-benefit entertainment space. We talked about what public-benefit entertainment is, why it matters, and how funders can use it to advance…
Source: Media Impact Funders
Film
From Pop Culture to Public Benefit: Funding Entertainment that Creates Change
Members Only

Navigating Legal Boundaries in Media Support & Advocacy

In today’s shifting legal and policy landscape, funders and practitioners face complex questions about what is—and isn’t—permissible when supporting media and journalism. This meeting offered practical guidance across two key areas: Initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion: What types of funding are permissible in light of recent…
Journalism  •  Print Media  •  Public Media
Navigating Legal Boundaries in Media Support & Advocacy
Members Only

Public Media Bridge Fund Q&A Session

The announcement of the Public Media Bridge Fund marks a critical next step in protecting public media at a time of system-wide risk, as evidenced by Knight Foundation’s leadership in supporting this catalytic effort. Designed to provide immediate emergency support to the most vulnerable stations while also laying the…
Public Media
Public Media Bridge Fund Q&A Session
Members Only

Strategies for Supporting Narrative Change Work

Our Jan. 2026 network meeting furthered conversations we’ve been having around support for public-benefit media, strategies for reaching new and different audiences, and the role of platforms and distribution in funding decisions. The discussion featured two narrative change funders focused on climate media: Ricky Benavidez, Director…
Source: Media Impact Funders
Film  •  Interactive Media  •  Journalism
Strategies for Supporting Narrative Change Work

The Narrative Directory

A tool for sharing resources to support narrative change
Source: IRIS
Film  •  Interactive Media  •  Journalism  •  Journalism Education  •  Photography  •  Print Media  •  Public Media  •  Public Policy  •  Radio/Podcasts  •  Safety  •  Social Media
The Narrative Directory
Members Only

The New Realities of Documentary Funding

This meeting examined the current state of documentary public media, including how federal funding cuts have affected the sector, and opportunities for funders to engage and support this work. Featured Speakers: Carrie Lozano, President & CEO, ITVS Lauren Pabst, Senior Program Officer, MacArthur Foundation…
Film  •  Public Media
The New Realities of Documentary Funding

The Power of Narrative and the Playbooks Shaping Public Opinion

As polarization intensifies across the U.S., philanthropy must understand how media ecosystems—and the narratives they advance—shape public opinion, identity and civic engagement. Protagonist’s Rita Parhad and Sydney Apple spent -years researching both right-wing and left-wing media ecosystems in a project funded by the Lumina Foundation. At the 2025…
Source: Protagonist
Journalism  •  Print Media  •  Social Media
The Power of Narrative and the Playbooks Shaping Public Opinion

Unlocking U.S. audience demand for international news

This study, written by former Global Press CEO Cristi Hegranes and COO Laxmi Parthasarathy, reveals significant untapped demand for higher-quality international journalism among U.S. readers across diverse demographics, including noncitizen, diaspora, and migrant populations. Drawing on a rigorous methodology—including a nationwide survey of more than 1,200 U.S.-based international news readers,…
Source: Media Impact Funders
Journalism
Unlocking U.S. audience demand for international news
Members Only

Where Stories Meet Audiences: Opportunities for Funders in the Evolving Platform Landscape

Our Dec. 2025 network meeting continued MIF’s series on public-benefit entertainment with an academic perspective on social media platform evolution. Ethan Zuckerman—Associate Professor of Public Policy, Communications, and Information at the University of Massachusetts Amherst—traced the development of today’s siloed social media landscape and identified…
Source: Media Impact Funders
Film  •  Journalism  •  Social Media
Where Stories Meet Audiences: Opportunities for Funders in the Evolving Platform Landscape