It was exciting to meet with other Knight Foundation grantees in Miami at the Knight Media Forum last week. Here are 6 takeaways—from increased funding for local news to addressing political polarization.
Knight CEO Alberto Ibargüen announced that the foundation was investing $5 million in a satellite in a new nonprofit news source, Signal Akron. Read more here.
In the Knight x LMA BloomLab collaboration, three cohorts of 26 Black-owned media outlets were transformed with business consulting, learning opportunities and a technology grant. The results were an overall increase in sustainability and revenue.
The American Journalism Project has advocated for increased local news coverage that expands beyond large cities. In funding Signal Cleveland, Signal Ohio and Mississippi Today, audiences have had greater access to breaking news.
As local news outlets grow, past pessimism regarding the sustainability of local news has been replaced with a positive future.
A new initiative to increase funding for local news is in the works. The initiative would incorporate philanthropists to help keep communities informed and involved in local news. Kristen Mack highlighted an approach of 5 D’s: democracy, diversity, digital, development, and demand.
The forum concluded that political polarization—with national news at the heart—poses a threat to democracy. However, with frustrated citizens and higher voter turnouts, there is hope for the future.