I love the Sunday New York Times. I anxiously wait all day for my son’s nap time in order to have the freedom to really dive in. Sadly, this plan does not always work out and the chaos of work week does not always afford time to read the daily newspaper. Then what does a girl do if she still wants to stay informed?
I rely on Minnesota Public Radio in the car, links on Twitter and Facebook that friends post, a handful of blogs collected on Google Reader, and a quick perusal online of headlines of the big papers. I have a suspicion that this cacophony of sources that create my own newsfeed is not unique. We all collect our information in a variety of formats from an even more diverse list of sources. We know that this has had an impact on traditional newspapers. The Star Tribune is financially struggling and The New York Times recently laid off 100 newsroom staff. But, outside of saving our papers there does seem to be some greater risks. How do we guarantee that we are getting accurate and accountable information from so many sources? How do local issues get equal coverage when so many media sources are nationally based? And most importantly, how can we make change in our community if we don’t have all the facts?
Recently a report by the Columbia University Journalism School, “The Reconstruction of American Journalism,” was published that offered a variety of models for financially supporting the new media landscape. Some of the suggestions include providing non-profit status to news organizations, encouraging foundations and individuals to support local news reporting, and increasing involvement of universities and colleges to hold news agencies accountable. It surely seems that if we want to ensure that we get quality information, that the model for supporting news needs change. And who is responsible for making that change? The report argues that we all are:
“American society must now take some collective responsibility for supporting news reporting — as society has, at much greater expense, for public education, health care, scientific advancement and cultural preservation, through varying combinations of philanthropy, subsidy and government policy. It may not be essential to save or promote any particular news medium, including print newspapers. What is paramount is preserving independent, original, credible reporting, whether or not it is profitable, and regardless of the medium in which it appears.”
The Minneapolis Foundation recently got involved in supporting local news coverage through The Knight Foundation. The Minneapolis Foundation was selected by the Knight Foundation as one of twenty-one community foundations to receive a $100,000 Community Information Needs Challenge grant. The grant was awarded to promote public affairs journalism in collaboration with MinnPost. The Knight Foundation’s grant matches contributions by TMF and those by our donor advisors. Our partnership with MinnPost identifies specific beats to underwrite that will increase or sustain media coverage to help raise awareness of critical issues and of promising strategies to strengthen our community – and extend that coverage into ethnic, community, and rural media. In addition, 100% of the articles generated by this effort will be made available to ethnic, community, and rural media outlets at no charge. The Minneapolis Foundation believes a community foundation’s role is to promote the health and well-being of a community. Quality journalism plays a crucial role in shaping both public perception and public policy on issues that affect our community.
While The Minneapolis Foundation has taken a step in pursuing a new model for funding media, there are many other options on the table. Through the report by Columbia University, some additional digging and working on the partnership with MinnPost, I feel as though I have just started to scratch the surface of understanding the rapid changes in the field of journalism. As an opportunity to learn more about the funding models of journalism, The Minneapolis Foundation has invited Joel Kramer, Editor and CEO of MinnPost, to address the At the Table audience. I hope you will join us at “Be in the Know: The Future of Quality Local News.” Click here for details on the event.
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[...] previously mentioned here The Minneapolis Foundation was selected by the Knight Foundation as one of twenty-one community [...]