America’s local news crisis has shaped a generation of local news leaders who have worked tirelessly to adapt their organizations for their new business reality and the needs of their communities. Now, several of these leaders are ready to take the next step for organizational growth and expansion into new markets.
That’s why we’ve invested $5.4 million to create the Knight Growth Challenge Fund. It’s designed to support selected news outlets that have proven journalistic and business prowess and a solid business plan for sustainability. The fund will help support their efforts to expand into new markets and, in doing so, help fertilize news deserts and expand access to local journalism.
In a year that has been marked by layoffs and headlines about our industry’s decline, we’re supporting publishers who are ready to build something that will serve their communities for the long term. And, we hope this fund will create a model for other publishers to learn how to leverage their brands, existing operations, partners and resources into additional ways to address a community’s news needs.
The fund’s inaugural investments are directed toward six outstanding local news organizations, each selected to receive two years of support aimed at bolstering new staff, technology and marketing efforts. These organizations, which include both for-profit and nonprofit entities of varying sizes, span the country from coast to coast. Each has a strong foundation as an established newsroom, with a loyal audience and a proven track record of delivering high-quality journalism that effectively serves their communities. Additionally, they have crafted detailed business plans to expand and grow their operations into new markets. Below are the newsrooms included in this first cohort.
The communities served by these news organizations are in many cases requesting intervention to meet critical coverage gaps. By creating a cohort of organizations with similar ambitions and enabling an open exchange of data and tactics, we are helping publishers increase their likelihood of success while lighting a path for others. This cohort-based approach is supported by Blue Engine Collaborative, which will provide coaching, consulting and other resources to each of the selected publishers.
“Local news can thrive with the right mix of courageous, ambitious leadership, a team deeply in touch with community needs, deep digital capabilities, and the capacity to better serve new audiences,” said Tim Griggs, Blue Engine Collaborative’s founder and CEO. “These first six organizations can prove that local news can find ways to grow to serve more communities, and we’re absolutely thrilled to help them reach their full potential over the next two years.”
This fund will be administered by The Miami Foundation so that it can support more publishers with ambitions to expand into new communities. Interested publishers should contact David Grant, director of partnerships at Blue Engine Collaborative, at david@blueenginecollaborative.com.
Below is a breakdown of the first cohort of news outlets, along with a description of where they are now and where they hope to be, in their own words.
By providing a robust support system and fostering collaboration, the Knight Growth Challenge Fund aims to add an additional pathway to breathe new life into local journalism. It’s an initiative that emphasizes the importance of sustainable growth and community-focused reporting.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here