Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation Announces $1.85 Million in Awards

OKLAHOMA CITY – Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation (EEJF) announced today the distribution of $1.85 million in grants to 24 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.

“The awards announced today, many to non-profit impact journalism organizations, provide funding for the delivery of high quality journalism” said Bob Ross, President and CEO of Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.   “We know the future of journalism rests in leaders willing to take an entrepreneurial approach and our grants will allow them to continue their great work.”

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

Investigative Reporting
           

• $100,000 to Center for Investigative Reporting for public engagement activities that track reach and impact across multiple platforms, create open source digital interactives to make data accessible, convene public forums, and develop collaborations between technologists and journalists.

• $100,000 to Connecticut Health I-Team for reporting and distribution of investigative health and safety stories through multi-media platforms, training consumers to use searchable databases, and solidifying sustainability through partnerships and private donors.

• $100,000 to Florida Center for Investigative Reporting for government accountability reporting, expanded revenue programs, data visualization and collaborations with traditional, ethnic, Spanish-language and emerging media.

• $100,000 to Investigative Newsource for hiring a director of development and operations, constructing and launching a strategic plan, and establishing revenue generating programs.

• $100,000 to Midwest Center For Investigative Reporting to expand and improve the overall resources, training and watchdog reporting on agribusiness of the Midwest Center and its partner, the Investigative Journalism Education Consortium.

• $75,000 to NJSpotlight.com for further development of projects for increasing public engagement of local communities while strengthening its computer-assisted reporting and data analysis as a means to bring greater accountability.

• $75,000 to Voice of OC for investment in building the infrastructure of the organization, particularly around diversification of revenue streams to support ongoing investigative and accountability reporting.

• $73,850 to Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting for reorganization support to facilitate transition from its founding leadership to a new structure.

• $50,000 to 100Reporters for US-based investigative reporting focused primarily on working with whistleblowers and citizen watchdogs to expose corruption and heighten government accountability.

• $50,000 to WyoFile for meeting identified gaps in media coverage in Wyoming and building partnerships essential to sustainability.

• $37,500 to Oklahoma Public Media Exchange for two journalists to report on activities of Oklahoma state government and the consequences of legislative actions. All participating stations share broadcast content.

• $25,000 to Hidden City Philadelphia for “Out of the Shadows,” a series exploring the complex web of entities that distort the city’s economic development and undermine implementation of the new zoning code.

Professional Development

• $85,000 to Carole Kneeland Project for seminars, webinars, bootcamps and regional outreach focusing on ethical decision-making, action planning, managing alternative news sources and local news expansion.

• $65,000 to Institute for Justice and Journalism for Immigration in the Heartland, a 4-day training to strengthen data-driven, investigative reporting about children in immigrant families.

• $30,000 to Poynter Institute for web-based ethics programs to share updated ethical decision-making guidelines reflecting new pressures of the digital era and emphasizing truth-telling, transparency and the role of community in journalism and story-telling.

Youth Education

• $225,000 to Arizona State University for six fellowships per year for 3 years for advanced journalism students at OU’s Gaylord College and ASU’s Cronkite School to participate in News21, a collaborative newsroom experience under the guidance of top journalism professionals.

• $75,000 to Boston University for New England Center for Investigative Reporting’s production and marketing of video versions of stories generated by a core group of non-profit investigative reporting centers that produce stories of interest to a national audience.

• $50,000 to Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation for college journalism students working summer internships at community newspapers.

• $25,000 to Louisiana State University for investigative costs for the Cold Case Civil Rights-Era Murders and Wrongful Convictions Projects, components of a Field Experience Class.

Special Opportunities

• $134,000 to National Press Club Journalism Institute for The Kalb Report to present four forums that demonstrate why journalism matters in the digital age, exploring critical issues from both historic and contemporary perspectives.

• $85,000 to Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press for a one-year legal fellowship focused on assisting working journalists on issues involving libel, privacy and confidential sources.

• $85,000 to Student Press Law Center for the Attorney Advocate program, providing free legal help on issues from censorship to copyright to journalism students and educators.

• $80,000 to American University for J-Lab’s Masters Mediapreneurs, a project offering $15,000 in start-up awards to a cohort of adults, aged 50+, to launch local news, public-accountability and public-data projects as either an encore career or hobby.

• $30,000 to Voice of San Diego for City 101 Workshops, a pilot outreach and education program targeting three disadvantaged San Diego neighborhoods to help residents get the background they need on complex civic issues.

To learn more about Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, visit www.journalismfoundation.org or call 405-604-5388.