Media Impact Funders Survey Reveals Varied Perspectives on Impact Assessment

PARK CITY, Utah — When media funders talk about impact, what do they mean, and how do they demonstrate it? At the Sundance Film Festival, Media Impact Funders (MIF) released a new report, Funder Perspectives: Assessing Media Investments. It explores the multiple and sometimes overlapping lenses through which grantmakers view media evaluation, and confirms that there are still many unanswered questions. The report contributes to a growing dialogue about ways to quantify and qualify the impact of public interest media. Such examinations have stimulated debate among both funders and grantees. Read More

By Kelly Born | originally posted on the Hewlett Foundation's blog I recently attended a conference in Chicago on how to improve statehouse reporting — looking not just at the reporters physically in our nation’s 50 state capitals, but also those covering the effects of Statehouse policies on agencies, departments, and the executive branch. Read More

Media Impact Funders and Northern California Grantmakers held a funder briefing on the role of media policy and its impact on the health of our democracy to discuss what funders can and should be doing in this critical area. Read the Storify from the day. Former FCC Commissioner Michael Copps drew from his experience at the agency to paint a stark picture of the current telecommunications landscape, the debates over net neutrality and related issues. While the possible end of net neutrality would be a serious blow to open communication and free speech on the internet, Copps expressed optimism that grassroots movements would be able to move the needle on this debate in a positive direction. Yolanda Hippensteele described how the Media Democracy Fund where she acts as Associate Director, was organizing philanthropy for this cause by pooling their resources. Targeted funds such as the Open Internet Defense Fund help focus philanthropic energy where it will have the most impact in the debate on media policy. Kelly Born, Program Officer, Special Projects and Madison Initiative of The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation presented a newly released information resource,… Read More