GrantNews Celebrates Journalists and All They Do On World Press Freedom Day

Freedom of the press is a cornerstone of life as we know it in the United States. That is not the case in many corners of the world. Journalists all over the world risk their lives on a daily basis uncovering stories and getting to the root of community, state, federal, national and international political, social, environmental, and global issues that face us.

Freedom of the Internet, media control, privacy, and surveillance are all issues impacting the future of journalism and with it, all our lives, and society as we know it.

For our communities to thrive, we need to work closely with journalists to report the stories that are important and meaningful to us. We need to hold our leaders accountable for needed resources, for positive change. We as a community of readers and journalists need to work together for the common good and reward honest reporting.

It starts at the local level, reporting on the stories that affect our lives, our homes, education, health, and jobs. By being involved in the discussions, we are involved in shaping our future. The stories told about us include our voices. “The more engaged we are with local media, the more local journalism reflects us, lifts up diverse voices and serves our needs,” according to www.freepress.net.

An organization called News Voices organizes events, workshops, and collaborative projects to build power with communities seeking a stronger voice in local news.

New Voices addresses the issues, local journalism, and the future of journalism in general. Their work raises the voices of diverse segments of the populations so they have a role in setting the news agenda and changing the way news is covered in their communities.

Journalists can connect with communities, they say, by adopting strategies that organizers use to build trust with communities and uncover untold stories.

Organizing is a powerful approach to building relationships and deepening trust, but it’s an approach most journalists aren’t familiar with. According to FreePress.net’s News Voices Organizing Guide…

The principles and practices organizers use can be powerful tools when adapted to the newsroom, and can be incorporated into a reporter’s everyday work to:

• build trust and relationships with people across a community,

• uncover underreported stories,

• better share information with community members,

• learn from the people an issue most affects,

• lift up unheard community voices,

• collaboratively identify solutions, and

• heighten the impact of reporting.

GrantWatch lists grants for journalists and investigative reporting on the local, community, state, federal and international levels. In addition, there are 254 current grant listings related to media. See two of the current grant listings for journalism, media training, and investigative reporting below.

Grants to USA and International Nonprofits and Institutes of Higher Education for Journalism Education and Media Training, Deadline: 10/01/19

Funding is intended to promote college-level journalism studies and technological advances in the media industry. Preference is given to projects and programs that benefit the areas in which the foundation does business and that seek to encourage diversity in newsrooms and in coverage. The Foundation’s priorities are encouraging those wishing to enter the field of journalism and supporting innovative, national, and regional training for current journalists. Particular attention is given to the First Amendment and its responsibilities.

Grants to USA Nonprofits and Institutes of Higher Education for Scholarship and Research on Public Policy, Deadline: 08/22/19.

Grants to USA nonprofit organizations and universities for scholarly research on public policy issues that impact on the personal and economic liberties of the nation’s citizens. Funding is intended to support scholarship resulting in the publication of policy papers, journal articles, film projects, books, and new media initiatives.

Through its grant-making, this trust seeks to develop solutions to the country’s most important and challenging domestic policy issues. Funding is typically provided in the form of research grants, fellowships, and other types of targeted project support. With the Foundation’s assistance, university and think tank scholars investigate a wide range of issues, including:

• Tax and budget policy
• Cost-benefit analysis of regulatory practices and proposals
• the workings of the legal system
• Environmental policy
• Social welfare reform
• K-12 and higher education policy

Journalism plays a critical role in our communities. It shapes our lives and connects us to our communities and our communities to each other and the world. To find more grants for journalists, search under Research & Evaluation, Higher Education, Literacy & Libraries, Secondary Education, and any topic from the categories that align with what you are looking to research. Also, try advanced searches for “journalism,” “investigative and reporting,” and “media.”