Ethics & Excellence in Journalism Foundation Announces $1.8 Million in Awards

OKLAHOMA CITY — Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation (EEJF) announced today the distribution of $1.8 million in grants to 20 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 non-profit investigative journalism sector continues to mature, increasing both in size as well as impact” said Bob Ross, President and CEO of Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.  “Our grantees are learning how to best engage their audiences so they can better serve their local constituents, and provide the highest quality investigative reporting possible.”

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 develop its data analysis service and to work with other news organizations to identify and develop data projects focused on important public policy issues.
• $100,000 to Center for Investigative Reporting to continue development of innovative public engagement campaigns and impact measurement strategies for investigative journalism.
• $100,000 to Investigative Newsource to develop new channels of revenue by expanding base of large donors, establishing direct mail and email campaign, and constructing a network of community news organizations.
• $100,000 to Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting to educate journalists, students and the public about agribusiness through news stories and training.
• $75,000 to 100Reporters to support domestic reporting, and to hire staff to target story distribution, engage audiences, build membership base and diversify revenue.
• $75,000 to Boston University for New England Center for Investigative Reporting to develop and implement a prototype audience engagement/donor conversion program to be shared with other nonprofit centers.
• $75,000 to Connecticut Health I-Team to hire a computer data reporter, add databases on physician quality and hospital pricing, and grow sustainability through training programs and events.
• $75,000 to Florida Center for Investigative Reporting for general support of government accountability reporting and expansion of data analysis services.
• $75,000 to NJSpotlight.com to expand and innovate earned income strategies, including live and online events, new research and customized projects.
• $75,000 to Voice of OC to further develop innovative “paid social” program to broaden audience and impact of important public policy articles.
• $75,000 to WyoFile to expand staff to include a natural resources reporter, an energy reporter, and an underwriting associate; and to remodel the website and develop a marketing plan.
• $70,000 to Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting for a marketing campaign, research on voting records and financial interests of legislative candidates, and to train the next generation of investigative reporters. 

Professional Development

• $85,000 to Carole Kneeland Project for interactive educational conferences that allow newsroom-leading journalists to improve their leadership, ethics and journalism.
• $60,000 to Institute for Justice and Journalism for operating expenses and for an immigration data hackathon where journalists and citizens form teams with programmers to analyze data and produce visual results.

Youth Education

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

Special Opportunities

• $200,000 to Oklahoma Educational Television Authority Foundation to help fund the relocation of the OETA/KETA broadcast signal from the aging KWTV tower to the newer American Tower and transmitter facility.
• $134,000 to National Press Club Journalism Institute for The Kalb Report to produce four forums that help define American journalism in the 21st century, exploring critical issues from both historic and contemporary perspectives.
• $120,000 to Oklahoma State University Foundation to further increase the community impact of the KOSU Film Row studio through the addition of audio and video capabilities in the Hart Beat Performance Studio.
• $85,000 to Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press for a one-year legal fellowship focused on assisting working journalists with issues involving libel, privacy and confidential sources.
• $85,000 to Student Press Law Center for the Attorney Advocate program, providing free legal “hotline” assistance to journalism students and teachers nationwide.

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