On the eve of the 15th annual Knight Media Forum, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announces an investment of more than $4 million over three years to help local publishers of color become more financially sustainable. The investment, which builds on Knight’s long-time support for diverse communities, aligns with Knight’s strategy to help journalists, publishers and newsrooms increase trust, reach diverse audiences and generate sustainable revenue models.
Knight’s investments include:
“These investments show just how important continued support for publishers of color remains in the industry,” said Jim Brady, Knight’s vice president of Journalism. “Many legacy Black newspapers remain trusted voices in their communities, but have struggled as more Americans get their news from digital sources. Supporting legacy newsrooms and nurturing startup networks run by innovative leaders shows our commitment to publishers of color, helping Knight better serve the information needs of these communities.”
The projects that Knight has partnered with include:
“Thanks to the LMA Lab we were able to significantly grow our digital revenue and audience, especially around newsletters and promotions,” said Elinor Tatum, publisher and owner, New York Amsterdam News. “The Knight x LMA Bloom Lab will help take our transformation to a whole new level. We’re especially excited about the technology stipends and dedicated resources to help us execute.”
“Since establishing sustainability for publishers of color as one of our four core pillars in 2018, the LMA has helped nearly 100 BIPOC organizations with business transformation, monetization and audience-building strategies,” said Nancy Lane, LMA’s chief executive officer. “The Knight x LMA BloomLab will take these efforts to a whole new level as we will be able to provide unprecedented resources, specifically focused on technology, to a group of 26 Black-owned-and-operated media organizations. We’re thrilled to partner with the Knight Foundation on this groundbreaking industry initiative.”
These grants complement Knight’s $300 million, five-year commitment to invest in new, scalable initiatives with the potential to underpin a fresh future for local news and strengthen journalism.
For more on Knight’s strategy to support local news, visit: https://knightfoundation.org/features/localnews/
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation:
We are social investors who support democracy by funding free expression and journalism, arts and culture in community, research in areas of media and democracy, and in the success of American cities and towns where the Knight brothers once published newspapers. Learn more at kf.org and follow @knightfdn on social media.
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