Knight Foundation

We are thrilled to announce that longtime investigative journalist and nonprofit board leader Marisa Kwiatkowski is joining our team as a new director of journalism at Knight Foundation. Her deep experience in investigative journalism gives her a keen understanding of the benefits and challenges of doing important watchdog work. Learn more about Marisa here: https://kf.org/3WBNmuv

How will AI shape the future of content moderation? Yoel Roth, Head of Trust & Safety at Match Group and former Knight Visiting Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, says we need AI models that can navigate the nuances of human communication–calling for more research into its effectiveness. At Knight, we understand that media and technology are critical components of our democracy. We recognize that the growth of a digital public sphere includes both possibilities and challenges as it connects people with information and each other. Since 2019, we have committed more than $94 million to catalyze a field of research that can improve our understanding of, and proactively inform policy to address, the growing role of digital media in our democracy. Learn more here: https://kf.org/3Lv7po0

Knight Foundation seeks a local, social investor with a passion for St. Paul, Minnesota and a belief that a more effective democracy can be achieved when people are informed and engaged. In this role, you will serve as the foundation’s lead investor and point person in St. Paul. Learn more here: https://kf.org/3XYD88N

In response to growing concerns about voters accessing quality information surrounding the 2024 elections, Knight is investing nearly $7 million to bolster election news coverage, especially in battleground states. This includes launching an online hub of resources and an initiative with The Associated Press to support small news organizations. The goal is to empower publishers to help voters make informed decisions about local and statewide elections and ballot initiatives and to enhance their capacity to engage communities beyond the election season. Read more here: https://kf.org/3Y0gRYi

When I joined the Knight Foundation a few months ago, I emphasized the need for philanthropy to act swiftly—'at the speed of news'—to address urgent needs in real time. Today, I am proud to announce that Knight is investing nearly $7 million to help voters access accurate, independent, nonpartisan information about the 2024 elections. The loss of local newsrooms across so many American communities has a devastating impact. And it is felt acutely at times when residents most need quality information to make critical decisions — during major weather or public safety events and election seasons, for example. Without trustworthy news, voters could be in the dark about local and statewide elections and ballot initiatives. Exacerbating the challenge, the advent of generative AI has significantly accelerated the creation and distribution of mis- and disinformation, making it even more difficult for voters to arrive at fact-based decisions. To address this, Knight's grant supports a collaboration between The Associated Press and the Institute for Nonprofit News News and LION: Local Independent Online News Publishers. This initiative will make high-quality election content and services accessible to local newsrooms in battleground states. Local newsrooms will also receive the support needed to localize this information, making it relevant and accessible to their communities. Additionally, these funds will support the Knight Election Hub, a collection of 100 free and subsidized resources, including data, software, and training. As new challenges such as deepfakes arise, the Hub will continue to expand its offerings to meet evolving needs. These initiatives support local news organizations in two ways: 1) they empower them with high quality tools that provide critical information, ensuring voters can make informed decisions about elections, and 2) they enhance their capacity to engage communities beyond the election season. The time is now for philanthropy to move at the speed of news. Read more about it here: https://kf.org/461zcGi #localnews #journalismmatters Jim Brady Duc Luu Marc Lavallee

Imagine there are potholes in your street or the water is off (hello, Hoboken!) and you could actually get someone to do something about it. One Detroit news organization Outlier Media set up to respond to the immediate needs of their community. I love their "Fix This First," feature. Yes there is a crisis in local news, but there are some great local news orgs flourishing. We featured Outlier Media and OpenVallejo, a Californian news organization focused on wrongdoing at the police department on the latest The Media Mix podcast this week. Plus, how these two organizations are using AI. One to keep tabs on what those local pols are supposed to be doing and another to do record search and preserve documents for history. Special thanks to Jim Brady at the Knight Foundation who also discusses their work on this week's pod. Subscribe and listen wherever you get your audio fix. Thanks to EP Jamie Maglietta and Raymond Hernandez and all Global Situation Room, Inc.

It's an exciting day in South Florida! Our ClimateReady Tech Hub has just received a $19.5 million boost from the Department of Commerce, thanks to the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. This significant investment will propel us forward in our mission to create a resilient coastline and foster equitable place-based economic growth through innovation in climate technology.     Knight Foundation is honored to have contributed to this effort alongside other visionary leaders and organizations. I want to offer a special thank you to Assistant U.S. Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo, who so clearly sees strong economic development that supports innovation and entrepreneurship will enhance the United States' global competitiveness and national security. Done right, it will also power "inclusive, equitable growth," she stated. I couldn't agree more. And there's no better proving grounds than Miami-Dade County, a majority-minority community built on a strong entrepreneurial spirit and much grit. Congratulations to Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Florida International University President Kenneth A. Jessell, and the "maestro" behind the Climate Ready Tech Hub Francesca de Quesada Covey, as well as the innovators and entrepreneurs who contributed to this effort. With a diverse group of members from local governments, businesses, universities, and organizations, the Tech Hub underscores what our community can achieve when we work together.  This is a moment of pride and optimism for Greater Miami, the first of twelve nationwide winners of the U.S. Economic Development Administration investment and the only one focused on tackling climate challenges. The designation and now the subsequent funding is an endorsement of our community’s commitment to developing Miami as a climate-resilient tech ecosystem. It positions South Florida as a global frontrunner over the next decade and signifies that we stand to become a model of resilient infrastructure and inclusive economic development.  Marta Viciedo Kelly Jin Raul Moas Jon Belgrad Rebecca Needler Dinar   Read more about it here: https://lnkd.in/evMW7E96 

Knight’s staff heard insights from leaders in philanthropy, activism and community work in support of the LGBTQ community during an educational session at our Miami headquarters as part of Knight’s DEI programming around Pride Month.  Rich Ferraro of GLAAD shared research findings that show the lack of coverage of LGBTQ issues in local media in the U.S. South–emphasizing that there were only 23 substantive stories about HIV out of the 1,300 stories analyzed over 18 months (2019 – 2020) across nine Southern states.   DeMarcus Beckham, co-founder of Macon Pride and senior regional organizer for the Human Rights Campaign in Georgia, spoke about the evolution of the LGBTQ rights in Georgia since the eighties, sharing that Macon Pride has found partners across the community, from faith groups to youth groups and the local sheriff’s department, who are all working together to foster a safe space for LGBTQ people. Mateo A. Ventura Bruer, Aqua Foundation for Women and Lindsey Linzer, The Miami Foundation, spoke about their experiences serving the LGBTQ community in Florida. Ventura Bruer said Aqua has seen an uptick in LGBTQ people who are seeking support to leave the state. Linzer shared how the foundation’s LGBTQ Equity Fund addresses the shifting needs of Florida’s LGBTQ community, like their recent round of grants which expand support for LGBTQIA youth who experience homelessness in Miami-Dade.

The Knight-Georgetown Institute (KGI) is hiring!  We are seeking a Communications Director to lead communications strategy as part of our foundational team. Applications are welcome from superior communicators with deep knowledge of the media ecosystems influencing tech policy. https://lnkd.in/gUd5SX4P  

NEW: As voters prepare to elect more than 100,000 officials across federal, state and local elections this year, Knight Foundation is supporting the launch of the Knight Election Hub, empowering local newsrooms across the country with critical resources to serve audiences with reliable, nonpartisan information. More: https://kf.org/3VTE9h4