Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation Announces $1.255 Million in Awards

OKLAHOMA CITY — Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation (EEJF) announced today the distribution of $1.255 million in grants to 18 journalism organizations nationwide.

Founded by Edith Kinney Gaylord, Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation’s mission is to invest in the future of journalism by building the ethics, skills and opportunities needed to advance principled, probing news and information.

“All across the country, from Southern California to Maine, non-profit investigative news organizations are making a positive impact in their communities” said Bob Ross, President and CEO of Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.   “The business model for high quality journalism is changing, but through the dedication of our grantees and the generous support of readers, listeners, and viewers, this growing sector has emerged to keep the public informed.”

The following grants were awarded to organizations for projects addressing the foundation’s core areas of focus:

Investigative Reporting

• $100,000 to Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting to expand original and collaborative reporting and to create earned revenue opportunities.
• $100,000 to Center for Investigative Reporting to support Reveal, a public radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative storytelling.
• $75,000 to Better Government Association for continued reporting on investigations in Illinois.
• $75,000 to Connecticut Health I-Team for projects on hospice care, environmental health, and prisoner re-entry health challenges.
• $75,000 to InvestigateWest for general support of original investigative reporting on issues of public consequence in the Northwest.
• $75,000 to Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting to expand coverage and to develop a business model.
• $75,000 to PublicSource for general support of high-impact journalism in Pennsylvania.
• $50,000 to Alabama Initiative for Independent Journalism for BirminghamWatch, providing public service journalism in core coverage areas of government, the economy, education and the environment.
• $50,000 to Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting to produce stories that report the actions of government officials and institutions.
• $50,000 to Texas Tribune for continued support of a reporter to produce stories and investigative packages, based on reporting by the Texas Tribune, for the public radio show Reveal.

Professional Development

• $125,000 to Institute for Nonprofit News for training in long-term planning and development; and to develop nonprofit news leaders.
• $85,000 to Carole Kneeland Project for conferences, online videos, webinars, coaching and workshops focused on improving news directors’ leadership, ethics and journalism efforts.

Oklahoma Journalism

• $50,430 to Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation for college journalism students working summer internships at community newspapers.

Special Opportunities

• $85,000 to Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press for a legal fellowship focused on assisting journalists with issues involving libel, privacy and confidential sources.
• $75,000 to National Press Club Journalism Institute for the Kalb Report to produce two capstone forums to inspire the next generation of journalists.
• $50,000 to National Freedom of Information Coalition to study and test approaches to identify and monitor bills introduced in state legislative sessions that erode or eliminate existing FOI laws.
• $40,000 to Homeless Alliance for The Curbside Chronicle, Oklahoma’s street newspaper.
• $20,000 to University of Tulsa in support of the Pulitzer Prize Centennial, a multi-venue symposium on the Impact of Trauma Coverage.

To learn more about projects funded by Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation visit http://inasmuchfoundation.org/category/eejf/ or call 405-604-5388.