Philanthropy, media and the value of evidence: A conversation with MIF Executive Director Vince Stehle and Rita Allen Foundation President Elizabeth Christopherson

By Elizabeth Christopherson | President & CEO, Rita Allen Foundation A conversation with Vince Stehle of Media Impact Funders about the role of philanthropy in a changing media landscape. Vince Stehle began his career in philanthropy as a reporter for The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and later helped to develop new programs at foundations seeking to strengthen communities and public-interest media. Since 2011, he has directed Media Impact Funders, where he has been instrumental in building a network of funders who view communications as a vital part of working toward positive changes in society. Read More

by Elizabeth Christopherson President and Chief Executive Officer, Rita Allen Foundation Can competition spur states to be more transparent, accountable, and beholden to the public trust? That's one question the Center for Public Integrity set out to answer through its State Integrity Investigation, an ambitious effort to rank all fifty U.S. states in terms of their transparency and risk of corruption. The Rita Allen Foundation supported this important and innovative project, along with the Omidyar Network and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, as part of its work to explore new approaches to strengthening civic literacy and engagement in the United States. Read More

National Geographic President Gary Knell (above left) welcomed attendees to the June 3 celebration of the Media Impact Festival’s award winners at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, DC: Read More

  The 2014 Media Impact Festival celebrated the social impact of media, and its capacity to transform society. This yearlong showcase is the next evolution of the Film + Video Festival, which Media Impact Funders presented with the Council on Foundations for many years. To build upon notable work in the emerging field of documentary impact analysis, we partnered with BRITDOC to feature the five finalists selected for their 2013 PUMA Impact Award. The BRITDOC team has distinguished itself through an innovative and rigorous approach to evaluating films as powerful tools for strategic communication. Adapting their methodology, our nominators have chosen five additional films to be highlighted, for a total of 10 selections — each of which was considered for the awards below. We’ve assembled case studies examining the outreach campaigns for each of 2014’s selections — read them here to learn more about how these high-impact films moved audiences and influencers to action. 2014 winners The Henry Hampton Award for Excellence in Film & Digital Media: Invisible War     The Henry Hampton Award for Excellence in Film & Digital Media is named in… Read More

Collaboration and invention were key concepts for the mid-afternoon sessions at the 2014 Media Impact Forum, which honed in on how cross-platform public media initiatives are filling holes in local news and healthcare coverage and influencing audiences and policymakers. View highlights from this discussion below, or go to our YouTube page for the full session. Media Impact Funders Executive Director Vince Stehle moderated the discussion on innovation in local journalism, which featured Laura Walker, the president and CEO of New York Public Radio; Laura Frank, the executive director of I-News and vice president for news at Rocky Mountain PBS, and Clark Bell, the director of the McCormick Foundation’s Journalism Program. Walker heads up a clutch of award-winning public stations—WNYC-FM, WNYC-AM, WQXR, WQXW, and New Jersey Public Radio—which, along with related digital properties and programs, reach an average 14.2 million people each month. She spoke about the importance of partnerships in building better local coverage across the region, especially in New Jersey, where major outlets have collapsed. With support from such funders as the Charles H. Revson Foundation, The Gates Foundation, The Wyncote Foundation, and the Jerome L. Read More