Ideas Archive

Toolkit

Knowing It’s Right: Limiting the Risk of Certifying Elections

Tammy Patrick

May 22, 2020

Every election we ask ourselves, what motivates voters to participate? Could it be the love of a charismatic candidate? The dislike of a less-than-desirable one? Passion for a specific ballot initiative? Do voters show up to the polls out of habit? The answer is as varied as the voting population, as is the reason voters do not participate.

Research shows that while voters’ confidence in their own vote being counted accurately remains relatively constant, their belief that results at the national level are correct is in decline. As we work through reestablishing trust in our elections following Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s 22-month long investigation, the threat of interference in our elections by another nation-state remains.

The American public wants to believe that when they vote it means something—we are teaching elections officials about a new way to audit our elections and check for the accuracy every voter deserves. As with most election administration processes, implementation success lies in preparation—and Risk Limiting Audits (RLAs), which some proponents often refer to as the “cheap and easy” method to check the accuracy of the results, are no exception.

Democracy Fund recently launched the Election Validation Project to increase trust in elections through rigorous audits, standards, and testing. Part of this project is the release of Knowing it’s Right—the first Risk-Limiting Audit report which serves as a summary to capture where we currently stand on risk-limiting audits; an overview of what policymakers need to know; and as a guide or workbook on how practitioners can prepare to implement. The materials demonstrate the rigor that a jurisdiction needs to go through in order to conduct a meaningful audit, the decisions that need to be made along the way, and what to contemplate as this relatively young procedure continues to evolve.

The what and the how of an RLA are not well understood by many, which is why we created guidance for elections administrators to save time, money and ensure that the correct candidate won.

The idea is simple, although not many people have heard of a risk-limiting audit. Risk-limiting audit is a post-election audit that takes a random sample of voted ballots and manually examines those ballots for evidence the originally reported outcome is correct. An RLA limits the risk of certifying a contest with the wrong winner.

We are proud to support Jennifer Morrell, a nationally recognized election official with over eight years of experience managing local elections, to lead the Election Validation Project and spearhead the outreach on this guidance. Morrell’s work in Colorado was instrumental in the successful implementation of the first statewide risk-limiting audit and she has since spent time traveling across the country working on post-election audits. This report is the cumulative documentation of her effort.

We believe sound election administration policy and its practical application can ensure the American electorate is well served and that our democracy is strong. We are dedicated to that work and appreciate all who strive for that ideal along with us.

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Systems Map

Digital Democracy Initiative Core Story

Paul Waters

May 15, 2020

Our democracy is a complex political system made of an intricate web of institutions, interest groups, individual leaders, and citizens that are all connected in countless ways. Every attempt to influence and improve some aspect of this complex system produces a ripple of other reactions. To identify the root causes of problems we want to address, find intervention points, and design strategies to affect positive change, we use a methodology called systems mapping. We create systems maps in collaboration with broad and inclusive sets of stakeholders, and use them to design and then assess our grantmaking strategies. They are intended to provide a shared language, creating new opportunities for dialogue, negotiation, and ideas that can improve the health of our democracy.

This systems map describes how digital tools and technologies have transformed our public square in recent years for better and for worse. The flow of news, information and civic discourse is now largely governed by five major companies: Facebook, Twitter, Google, Microsoft, and Apple. Following numerous high-profile scandals, the public has grown concerned about issues of discrimination, mis/disinformation, online hate and harassment, lack of transparency, voter suppression, and foreign interference in our elections through the platforms. The platforms’ lackluster response to these crises suggests that we need to build a strong movement to force the platforms to become accountable not just to their shareholders, but to the public.

The map consists of three interlocking loops.

Platform Power & Profitability describes how the platforms have come to dominate digital communications at the expense of the public square’s overall health and transparency.
Discriminatory Targeting lays out the ways in which platform tools have been used to weaken our democracy, spread hateful content and disinformation, and have exacerbated longstanding racial, economic, and gender inequalities.
The Decline of Commercial News shows why and how news publishers have been unable to compete with platforms for attention and profits in the digital age, and what the loss of journalism means for the public square.

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How Buffalo’s Fire is serving American Indian communities in COVID-19

Lea Trusty

May 12, 2020

As part of our series of conversations with equity in journalism leaders to see how they are adapting in light of the current pandemic, I recently chatted with Jodi Rave, executive director of the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance (IMFA), a nonprofit media organization that aims to fill information gaps for American Indian communities in the Great Plains. Democracy Fund proudly supports IMFA’s publishing arm, Buffalo’s Fire through the Racial Equity in Journalism Fund.

In 2018, Democracy Fund published American Indian Media Today, a report authored by Rave that took a deep dive into the history and current state of Native media in the United States. The report describes how press freedom is a key challenge, with tribal governments controlling an estimated 72 percent of tribal newspapers and radio stations. This means that tribal press “largely promote the tribe’s messages rather than serving a watchdog role that holds tribal governments accountable to the community.”

Below is a lightly edited recap of our conversation.

LT: For most of the world, we are living in unprecedented times. What is the role of media in a moment like this, specifically community media?

JR: Media operations across the country are playing a critical role in delivering news to their communities. Local journalists know their communities better than those who parachute into our homelands, and they’re doing important work to help community members navigate this pandemic. The Navajo Times, for example, has done an excellent job in delivering up-to-date news to Navajo citizens, the hardest hit American Indian community in the country.

Local journalists know their communities better than those who parachute into our homelands, and they’re doing important work to help community members navigate this pandemic.

For nearly four years, the president of the United States has criticized the national media. I think this has had a trickle-down effect for all media. It’s a bit more difficult to advocate for press freedom in tribal communities when anyone watching the evening news or reading Twitter hears a continual lambasting of media. That said, a global health pandemic has allowed all media, including community news organizations, to shine.

LT: How are you staying connected with your communities, and what are you hearing from them about their information needs?

JR: We are using Zoom, drones, the phone, and Marco Polo to stay connected with community members. We have two types of media on the Fort Berthold Reservation here in North Dakota. The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation owns and controls the tribal radio and newspaper. My organization, the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance and our publishing arm, Buffalo’s Fire, are independent and nonprofit. We have never asked the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation for money.

In a recent interview, Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation CEO Scott Satermo told Buffalo’s Fire that the tribe created a COVID-19 Task Force at a time when the state and counties were still slow to react. Like the rest of the country, it’s still difficult for the tribe to test for the virus, but Satermo credited his team for setting up shelters for those who tested positive and want to quarantine away from their family. Satermo said he’s proud of the work that’s been done, but much seems to be lost on tribal citizens who go to the tribe’s Facebook page or the tribal newspaper.

Some have pointed out that the information isn’t always the most up to date, and that the online updates haven’t been consistently published in the tribal newspaper, which is where a lot of people go for their news.

LT: Have you been able to pivot your operations to reflect some of those needs?

JR: In the past, Buffalo’s Fire has printed stories that will never appear in the local tribe-owned newspaper. Through spiritual leaders locally and across Indian Country, we know we have to shift our message beyond the basics of social distancing, where to get tested and making sure we wash our hands. It’s predicted a second-wave of coronavirus will sweep through our lands, locally and nationally. It’s important to hear from our American Indian spiritual leaders at this time, so we are changing course and reaching out to them — from New York to North Dakota — for words of encouragement and enlightenment.

LT: We know COVID-19 has created economic challenges for many industries, including journalism. What do outlets need, especially ones serving historically marginalized communities, to weather this storm and continue serving their audiences?

JR: COVID-19 continues to take a toll on communities across the country. News organizations across the country have reported heavily on hotspots. We have learned that an overwhelming number of those hotspots are in communities of color. The third hardest-hit metro area in the United States to be ravaged by coronavirus is Gallup, N.M., a city bordering the Navajo Reservation, a popular hub close to Navajo Nation tribal headquarters. Independent American Indian media organizations and newsrooms of color need general operating funds to operate at full capacity, because there will be more reporting that needs to be done when the second wave hits.

Independent American Indian media organizations and newsrooms of color need general operating funds to operate at full capacity, because there will be more reporting that needs to be done when the second wave hits.

Our American Indian communities are historically marginalized. We typically experience hardships, such as poor housing, inadequate health care systems, high unemployment and high rates of diseases like diabetes. All these issues make us highly susceptible to testing positive. Our newsrooms should be reporting on these local issues, rather than having to wait for the mainstream press to show up in crisis mode.

Our newsrooms should be reporting on these local issues, rather than having to wait for the mainstream press to show up in crisis mode.

LT: Has this moment brought anything new to light for you around media equity? If so, what?

JR: For me, media equity means we need to do more to support independent tribal media outlets to better serve our rural and urban American Indian communities. I’ve seen COVID-19 news move slowly through tribe-managed filters. Greater independence to gather and track that news for independent media means a lot of work needs to be done to create channels for freedom of information, such as the enactment of independent press ordinances. Right now, only a handful of tribes have free press ordinances.

For me, media equity means we need to do more to support independent tribal media outlets to better serve our rural and urban American Indian communities.

LT: Where is one place that you’re finding inspiration for your work right now?

JR: I am finding inspiration from spiritual leaders of different tribes. They are a grounding force in a time when a lot of social media and mainstream media information on the global pandemic is centered in fear. This is a time to be careful, not fearful. As for media inspiration, I admire the work of the Navajo Times, a newspaper — once controlled by the tribe — that has put up a good fight through the decades to operate independently of the Navajo Nation.

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How MLK50 is serving Memphis amidst COVID-19

Lea Trusty

May 5, 2020

I recently chatted with Wendi C. Thomas, founder, editor, and publisher of MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, a Memphis-based nonprofit news outlet focused on economic justice, about how her organization is continuing to serve the community during the current pandemic. Wendi and I have met on the journalism conference circuit, and Democracy Fund proudly supports MLK50 through the Racial Equity in Journalism Fund. Below is a lightly edited recap of our conversation.

LT: For most of the world, we are living in unprecedented times. What is the role of media in a moment like this, specifically community media?

WT: I think journalists already knew we were essential to democracy, but the pandemic has brought into stark relief how essential we are. Readers must be able to count on journalists, particularly those in community outlets, to bring them reliable info — everything from community testing sites to where folks can get free meals.

MLK50 knew early on that we weren’t going to be able to cover breaking news. But what we could do and are doing is making sure we’re bearing witness in this moment to the lived experiences of those who are the most affected. Memphis is the second poorest large city in the nation. More than 40% of workers here make less than $15 an hour. If the national economy is taking a hit, low-income people in Memphis — who are disproportionately people of color here — are being drowned.

While we may not have a large staff or resources to be in PPE covering everything in the street, we’re continuing to connect with people and filling the niche we always have, which is serving the most vulnerable communities.

LT: How are you staying connected with your communities, and what are you hearing from them about their information needs?

WT: We’re hearing from workers who are concerned they aren’t getting the PPE they need or worried their employers aren’t being honest. We have a digital canvasser who’s been collecting tips on workplace safety and have gotten dozens and dozens from those efforts.

Oftentimes what people tell us isn’t a clear-cut violation. But there is a lot of fear. People don’t know, and when people don’t know, they assume the worst-case scenario. I’m glad that people turn to us, and we’re trying to stay as responsive as we can with the hopes that this will lead to a story when it’s the right time.

Last week we published one of our first pieces about Memphis-area distribution centers that have had multiple workers — more than 20, according to one employee — who have tested positive for coronavirus. PFS, which ships nonessential items such as Pandora bracelets and Chanel lip glosses, wasn’t providing workers with PPE or doing temperature checks for weeks. PFS has since started offering protective equipment — but gloves, masks and temperature screenings are optional, which is truly incredible.

We’re also currently paying workers $200 for first-person essays. We’ve always paid guest columnists $100 for their essays; we want to honor the value of people’s time by paying them. I thought, this is an easy way to put money in the hands of people who are struggling right now. It’s a very small thing — $200 is not going to solve anyone’s problems — but it’s something. It’s a way for us to be in solidarity with workers at this moment.

LT: What are some operational pivots you’ve made, or wish you could, to meet the changing needs of this moment?

WT: We’ve had to scrimp on a lot because of our size, but there are a few things I wish we could have invested in earlier. For example, when we bought our company cell phone, we bought the cheapest one possible. Now I wish we purchased an easier one to use. We aren’t using a paid Slack plan, which means our archives are limited to 10,000 messages. As we partner with more news outlets, I’m watching that available message archive disappear. Funders are asking, “What’s your expense reduction contingency plan?” But we were already lean.

Funders are asking, “What’s your expense reduction contingency plan?” But we were already lean.

My managing editor has the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, so our budget doesn’t even reflect all of our actual expenses because we’ve been personally subsidizing them. So, to say to cut what isn’t even counted is tricky.

LT: Has this moment brought anything new to light around equity in media?

WT: Because MLK50 is fiscally sponsored, I’m a contractor rather than an employee. I didn’t take out any loans when I started MLK50. We just did it. Now the fact that I don’t have a business lending relationship with the bank means it’s nearly impossible for me to get any Paycheck Protection Program loans. It’s like I’m being penalized for doing something within my means. It’s a quirk of the system that doesn’t consider the most vulnerable.

MLK50 has always been small and scrappy. We didn’t have much margin for error before, and now we have none. There are four core members of our team, and if any of us were to get sick, I think the site would have to go dark. There aren’t many redundancies built into our structures. It would’ve been nice to have the bandwidth to put those systems in place before this. I think that’s a lesson for founders and funders: That a struggle story isn’t necessarily noble.

I think that’s a lesson for founders and funders: That a struggle story isn’t necessarily noble.

There is a tendency for funders to be reluctant to be early adopters. Sometimes, their approach is: “Let’s wait and see how it goes.” But we could’ve built some of these core processes with $40,000 a year ago. I guess it’s also a lesson for me. I’m a journalist by training, so I put my head down to do the journalism. If I could have cloned myself — or better yet, hired a development or operations manager — we could have done more to bolster the organization.

LT: We know COVID-19 has created economic challenges for many industries, including journalism. What do outlets need, especially hyperlocal ones serving historically marginalized communities, to weather this storm and continue serving their audiences?

WT: MLK50 has been really lucky. We’ve gotten support from AJP, and now Borealis, to address bandwidth issues. We’ve gotten funding to hire for at least one position, maybe two. But now I’m wondering if I’ll be able to secure funds for these positions next year. There is also a need for consultants who can support us on things I would’ve done in a normal time. There is a real gap between having the resources and being able to use them because of labor and time-intensive work in between.

One good thing that’s come out of this is a greater interest in collaboration amongst local news outlets. We wrote a story with Commercial Appeal and Memphis Business Journal on hospitals that have had an influx of coronavirus patients. We also published a piece that focused on racial disparity in COVID-19 infection and fatality rates in Shelby County. We had that idea on Wednesday, and we published by Friday afternoon. That was only possible because we shared resources and labor. Collaboration increases our shared capacity at this critical time and builds relationships for the long term.

Collaboration increases our shared capacity at this critical time and builds relationships for the long term.

I think it’s important for small publishers to look for opportunities like that. I also think it’s important for communities to see that kind of solidarity between news outlets.

—

Journalists are on the front lines of the pandemic every day, bringing us essential information we need to stay safe during COVID-19. They need our support on #GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of giving and unity on May 5 as an emergency response to the need caused by the pandemic. Find a newsroom at NewsForGood.org

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Collaborations, conversations, and COVID-19

April 27, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has shaken much more than the ground beneath us: it has rocked every aspect of our society. This norm-shattering situation has shown us the value of a local news ecosystem in keeping our communities informed, healthy, and safe. A robust local news ecosystem means that communities have the flexible foundation they need to receive and share life saving information, connections, and support, pulling in collaborations from newsrooms, neighborhoods, and more.

Cover Photo: A thank-you sign to helpers in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood. Photo by Raed Mansour

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Journalism Funders: Ways to Uphold Your Diversity and Inclusivity Values During COVID-19

Jenny Choi, News Integrity Initiative

April 16, 2020

As funders move swiftly to respond to the information needs of COVID-19, it’s critical to consider the following tips to ensure that the communities most disproportionately impacted by the pandemic are not left out.

*Newsroom executives and managers: Looking for concrete ways you can uphold diversity and inclusivity values during COVID-19? Sisi Wei, director of programs at OpenNews has you covered.

There has been an influx of emergency funds created across a wide variety of sectors in rapid response to the crisis, but it’s also critical to remember that characterizing the coronavirus as the great “equalizer” is inaccurate. We can’t afford to neglect using a justice lens in designing these emergency funds to ensure that all communities, including those already struggling in information deserts, receive life-saving information during these unprecedented and challenging times.

The effect of the coronavirus on the local journalism industry has been extraordinarily complicated and profound: communities have become desperate for timely, accurate information on an unseen, unknown villain that seemed to take away all of their loved ones, their freedoms, and feelings of safety and security overnight. The economic impact of sheltering in place additionally devastated small businesses, including local news organizations that depended on ad revenue to provide vital civic information to their constituents.

I, along with many others, have been working on the importance of ramping up cultural competencies to improve coverage of our communities utilizing a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) lens. I’ve been grateful to see reporting that has shown the ways in which communities of color are disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus — from the racialization of the virus precipitating hate crimes against Asian Americans to the ways in which Black constituents experience significantly higher rates of COVID-19 exposure and fatalities compared to any other demographic.

Key things to consider when deploying an Emergency Response Fund:

Include partners with strong credibility working with communities of color, including newsrooms led by people of color, in the design and decision-making phases of the grantmaking.

Moving swiftly can be challenging for funders new to utilizing an equity and inclusion lens because they typically depend on existing networks and partners for efficiency. This is problematic because without ever spending the time to build trust with new partners and stakeholders of color, particularly those that work with undocumented constituents, funders will not likely include them in their existing networks. As such, working with place-based funders or non-profit organizations that clearly have a strong footprint in the targeted communities is a strategic starting point to ensure that the request for proposals will reach communities with whom you have not yet worked.

Address the inequity gaps in your language and criteria. Be open to creating space for new models and forms of journalism beyond legacy and mainstream media.

Dana Kawaoka-Chen of Justice Funders and Lori Villarosa of Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity offer clear outlines of key values on how and who to fund for social justice in response to COVID-19. Applying this framework that many health and economic development funders have already embraced for meaningful impact would be transformative for journalism and its role in improving access to resources for historically marginalized communities. For example, the Akonadi Foundation has announced a $1 million emergency fund for people-of-color-led organizations and projects in Oakland addressing the racial inequities exacerbated by the public health crisis.

The Robert R. McCormick Foundation in Chicago, along with other place-based funders in the area, has launched the Chicago COVID-19 Journalism Fund with criteria that specifically prioritizes smaller news outlets serving communities of color, including media that is offered in languages other than English.

Additionally, the Economic Hardship Reporting Project is offering mini grants for freelancers and journalists to commission stories on COVID-19 utilizing an equity lens, as well as those who might benefit from an emergency hardship grant that simply asks for a short, 350-word explanation of why the funds are needed, which significantly reduces the burden of submitting a lengthy proposal and increases access for folks new to writing an application for a grant. Other similar resources include journalist-organized grassroots funds such as the Journalist Furlough Fund and Microloans for Journalists, which also lists other relief funds for journalists.

Finally, the Facebook Journalism Project in partnership with other funders has also prioritized newsrooms reaching underserved audiences by making grants to boost coronavirus coverage. The grants prioritize independent and family-owned news organizations, which includes for-profit groups. This criteria addresses the fact that many people-of-color publishers operate small for-profit organizations and are not often eligible for grants from private foundations.

Support newsrooms serving communities that do not speak English as their first language.

The majority of the rapid response funds made available to journalists and journalism organizations have been English-only (both in the request for proposals and criteria set for applications). Partnering with initiatives such as the Center for Community Media (which also disseminates a newsletter tracking grant opportunities), Ethnic Media Services or Translators Without Borders — an organization that is providing translation services via mini-grants will broaden access to news organizations specifically targeting communities that do not speak English or depend on the information source in their primary language to access critical public services.

Coordinate with existing resources and efforts.

Journalists are working harder than ever to provide content daily to fulfill the essential information needs of our communities. Some news organizations are reporting that they are now creating four times the content they were producing on average, pre-coronavirus. So funders need to work together and coordinate these opportunities, to make it easier and less time-consuming for journalists and news organizations to identify support. Right now, there are many opportunities that seem to be announced in piecemeal fashion.

Media Impact Funders has also convened the funder community to brainstorm and coordinate ways for funders to strategically leverage and connect various efforts in addressing COVID-19. Funders interested in sharing insights and analysis, as well as their own rapid response grant efforts should contact Roshni Melia (roshni@mediafunders.org).

Funders might coordinate with place-based opportunities and other networks targeting vulnerable communities to ensure journalism funding is not left out in broader efforts to support community resilience. One example is the NDN COVID-19 Response Project which targets efforts specifically serving indigenous communities. Funders can collaborate with the Native American Journalists Association and NDN Collective to create clear pathways of support for tribal media organizations.

A guitar player performs on a street with a pandemic mural behind him that says "Stay Home" — Source: Vulcan.com

Other tools journalism funders can deploy during this crisis beyond making grants:

Advocate for local media to be included in any coronavirus stimulus package

Organizations such as PEN America and Free Press Media are leading coalition-building efforts to ensure funding for local media is included in the coronavirus stimulus package. This effort highlights small to mid-sized news organizations that serve hard to reach populations where local news ecosystems have already been fragile and are heavily supported by other small businesses in the region that are on the verge of shutting down due to shelter-in-place restrictions.

Share best practices on innovative collaborations to support capacity to address the information needs and demands of underserved communities

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has seeded and supported innovative local and regional journalism collaborations since 2009, across a wide array of diversely sized organizations serving many different constituent groups. Leveraging the public media network and applying lessons learned on how these collaborations expanded the overall capacity for newsrooms to serve information deserts are ways funders can help newsrooms make their news operations more innovative and streamline content production.

Fund affinity expert organizations such as the Asian American Journalism Association, National Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Association of the LGBTQ Journalists, the Maynard Institute, and identify other resources to ensure newsrooms abide by rigorous journalism ethics in covering COVID-19 and its disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities.

The Asian American Journalism Association created a guide on how to responsibly cover the coronavirus utilizing a diversity, equity and inclusive lens. The guide has been widely circulated in response to xenophobic attacks perpetrated against the Asian community as a result of COVID-19 misinformation.

Elevate and protect diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) values by holding newsrooms accountable in the face of imminent layoffs and disappearing internships.

The News Integrity Initiative has been working with a cohort of journalists of color, the newsrooms in which they work (along with their managers and editors), and OpenNews to reform what managers prioritize as skills and competencies for next generation audiences and news providers. There is a danger that layoff decisions and shutting down internship programs will disproportionately impact journalists who are the most vulnerable.

Sisi Wei of OpenNews has written practical strategies and tips for managers to navigate these decisions while continuing to uphold DEI values. Her work highlights the need to deploy hiring best practices within the context of the pandemic crisis (using efficiencies to speed up the process without sacrificing the integrity of the process), and how to use data responsibly and equitably to make difficult decisions, like layoffs.

Funders can support newsrooms to uphold these values in a few ways:

Work with journalism education and training institutions to help subsidize internship program shortfalls.
Support the disaggregation of existing data collection efforts to track layoffs, furloughs and pay cuts across newsrooms. The News Integrity Initiative is working with OpenNews and the journalists of color community at large to be a resource for time-strapped managers that may not have the capacity to see how reactive personnel decisions might decimate previous DEI efforts.
Figure out ways to coordinate and support the work of existing diversity committees in newsrooms.

As newsrooms have come to greatly depend on philanthropic support, we are in a moment where the leadership of funders who care about the provision of high quality civic information is critical in saving people’s lives — in particular, the lives of the most vulnerable. The business of journalism may not look the same after we’ve recovered from the pandemic, but philanthropy can be proactive in taking the right steps to ensure we are making thoughtful, inclusive and equitable decisions for the future, to support a vibrant democracy that celebrates and supports all lived experiences and stories.

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Journalism is an Essential Service During the Pandemic. We Must Fund It Like One.

Teresa Gorman

April 15, 2020

This post was co-authored by Christine Schmidt.

Over the past month, 30 states have made journalism an essential service in their disaster declarations, putting local news outlets on par with hospitals and grocery stores. It makes sense: local news is how we find out about stay at home orders and whether our nearby hospital has tests available. It lets us know which grocery stores are holding senior hours, which schools are delivering hot lunches, and how to get help with rent and mortgage payments. And it powers the work of infectious disease detectives, who refer to local reporting as “the bedrock” of their work tracking the spread of illnesses across the country.

Nearly eight in ten Americans are following coronavirus news closely. And they’re getting more than just news: Chalkbeat built maps of all the places New Jersey families can get free meals during school closures; the Charlotte Journalism Collective created a phone tree to check in on people who may not have internet access; El Migrante distributed papers to migrant shelters with information on coronavirus prevention and shelter healthcare options; and Outlier Media in Detroit took residents’ coronavirus questions via text. Local newsrooms are clearly going above and beyond to help their communities.

But there is a troubling irony to this moment: The coronavirus — while creating a need for strong local news — has ignited an economic crisis that could wipe out huge swaths of journalism in America.

Newsrooms Are Shutting Their Doors

Even before COVID-19 swept the country, shuttering businesses and drying up ad spending, local news was in a precarious spot. Over the last 15 years, more than 1,800 newspapers have closed across the United States. Of the 2,485 U.S. counties that reported COVID-19 cases as of April 6th, 50 percent are news deserts — meaning relevant and accurate information is scarce, while misinformation is easily accessible. The struggle to find clear information about your neighborhood is even harder if you live in a rural community, have a low income, or are a person of color.

But newspapers aren’t the only place you get your news — you also have public radio, local television, the bulletin board at your community center — all of which are also impacted by COVID-19. A field of 200+ nonprofit news outlets and hundreds of digital for-profit startups is filling some of the gaps, but the economic challenges will confront all of these newsrooms, too.

On March 29th, Vermont’s Republican Governor Phil Scott acknowledged this tough situation, saying:

“During a time like this, when we as a state and nation are facing a crisis most of us have never experienced, few things are more important than having the facts and being informed. That’s why today I’m asking you, if you’re able, to support local journalism.”

But just days after the governor’s address, the state’s largest newsroom, VTDigger, had to lay off three people and Gannett-owned papers in the state furloughed employees.

Something similar is probably happening in your town, too. Alt-weeklies in places like Seattle and Milwaukee have completely ceased print production. Public radio has had to abandon their pledge drives. And over a quarter of community media outlets surveyed — who largely serve communities of color and immigrants — have reported a 75-100 percent loss in advertising revenue. According to a tally by The New York Times, over 28,000 journalists have lost their jobs, had their pay cut, or been furloughed, just in the past few weeks.

Our Recovery Has to Include Reporting

We need local news right now and local news needs us. As the federal government, states, and foundations begin developing their response to this pandemic, we must make local news a priority — not an afterthought.

We can not understate how devastating further losses of local news will be to our democracy and the resilience and health of our communities. When newsrooms close and journalists disappear, research shows that fewer people vote and run for office, government corruption and waste expand, and our neighborhoods grow more polarized. No matter what efforts you currently fund, a loss of local news will set them back.

How Funders Can Support Healthy Communities through Healthy News

The federal stimulus bill included $75 million for public radio and TV stations, but that is nothing compared to what’s been lost already in the crisis’ early weeks. To fill the gap, local funders — many of whom have grappled with disasters in their communities before — are leading the way:

In Colorado, Gates Family Foundation built a statewide funder collaborative, and called on funders, individuals and the government to act now to support Colorado’s public interest newsrooms with partners through the Colorado Media Project.
In Chicago, a coalition of funders have stepped up to start a Chicago COVID-19 Journalism Fund for community news and information, and the New Mexico Local News Fund has launched emergency support grants for journalists.
In Pennsylvania, Independence Public Media has doubled their grantmaking budget and plans to “invest in community-led and community-owned media and media making for equity and justice.” In addition, a coalition of funders including Lenfest Institute, Knight Foundation and The Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund have created the Philadelphia COVID-19 Community Information Fund to support an array of community media.

We must build on the lessons of these local leaders, as well as what we know from past disasters: that they highlight and exacerbate existing inequalities. We know that local news has never served all of America — including those that are hardest hit by the pandemic, including Black communities, Asian-American communities, and people facing economic hardship. It’s time to change philanthropy’s long history of underfunding media and journalism led by people of color and women, and build bold collaborations for long-term resilience and a more diverse and equitable media ecosystem. This is our opportunity to remake media so that it can serve communities now, and into the future.

The work of helping our nation and its media recover will take many months, and probably years. But there are four ways foundations can help right away:

Provide general operating dollars to local newsrooms. We can help you identify trustworthy, quality local journalists in your area who need your support. You can also find nonprofit newsrooms near you at INN.org.
Contribute to joint funds at the state and municipal level, or national funds like NewsMatch and the Racial Equity in Journalism Fund which can quickly scale the impact of your dollars.
Include community information needs and local newsrooms in your disaster response and recovery funds. Advocate at the state and national level for nonprofit news, public media and local community papers to be included in a meaningful government stimulus plan.
Advertise in your local news outlets in support of your grantees, first responders, and to share vital information with your community. Your advertising dollars will help local newspapers, radio stations, and nonprofits weather this storm.

America will recover from coronavirus; there’s no doubt about it. And with strong philanthropic support, so will local news. We are heartened by the hard work of newsrooms and dedicated funders across the country who understand how vital local news and information is at this moment — and how much we’ll need it in the future.

Subscribe to The Local Fix for a weekly roundup of the best writing on journalism, paired with concrete advice, tools and resources for people who care about local news, curated by Josh Stearns, Teresa Gorman, and Christine Schmidt.

Cover Image: Governor Tom Wolf answers questions submitted by reporters during a virtual press conference on COVID-19. Credit: Office of Governor Tom Wolf

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Dear Funders: What Does it Mean to Care About Equity in Journalism?

Lea Trusty

April 13, 2020

Here at Democracy Fund, we’ve been focused on addressing our grantees’ shifting needs, and finding ways to support engaged journalism during the global coronavirus crisis. As this pandemic continues to impact our country’s most marginalized communities disproportionately, we’ve become more sure than ever that it’s crucial not only to fund journalism, but to fund equitable journalism.

What do we mean when we talk about equity?

The “E” in “DEI” — equity — is often overlooked when compared to diversity (bringing more voices to the table) and inclusion (making sure these voices are included and valued).

That’s because equity challenges us to see the need for change at a deep level — it calls for a shift in systems and structures to address inequality at the root.

We believe a just and equitable political system must eliminate structural barriers to ensure historically excluded communities have meaningful influence in our democracy.

At Democracy Fund, we are proud to be a systems change organization. We believe a just and equitable political system must eliminate structural barriers to ensure historically excluded communities have meaningful influence in our democracy. The same is true for all of our systems, but here on the Engaged Journalism Lab, we’re focused on what equity can look like — and how funders can support it — in journalism.

What is equity in journalism?

When we talk about equity in journalism, we mean:

investing in newsrooms led by and serving historically marginalized groups;
supporting organizations working to shift industry culture and leadership; and
closing historic resource gaps that philanthropy has helped to perpetuate.

For news to be trusted and responsible, it must incorporate a diverse array of community voices, particularly those that have been ignored or harmed by storytelling and stereotyping in media. Only then will historically marginalized communities be able to count on news and support it as a vital civic asset. This means shifting resources, access, and leadership to, and embracing the power of these groups.

Funders can and should take the lead in supporting this work. That’s why, over the next year, the Engaged Journalism Lab will focus on engaging funders to support equity in journalism.

Why equity in journalism is critical

Last year, we published a series of reports looking at media by and for communities of color. The research revealed unique challenges among them, but the main concern for all was sustainability — simply having the dollars to keep the doors open.

Unfortunately, these outlets are often overlooked by journalism funders. Our latest report, “Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Journalism: What Funders Can Do,” found that of the $1.1 billion journalism grants in the United States between 2013 and 2017, only 8.1 percent went to equity-focused efforts. This has deeply affected the stories that are told in this country.

We’ve sought to center equity throughout our Engaged Journalism strategy and across Democracy Fund’s Public Square Program. But we need exponentially more investment in this space if we’re going to correct historic inequities in philanthropic dollars. Here are three reasons why all journalism funders must invest in equity in journalism now:

1. It’s Good Business

America is rapidly diversifying, and newsrooms that want to remain relevant must learn how to serve all communities. As Martin Reynolds, co-Executive Director of the Maynard Institute, said at this year’s Knight Media Forum, “Let’s not say ‘voices from underrepresented communities.’ Let’s say ‘voices from your future audience.’”

A growing body of evidence shows a positive connection between the diversity of a company and its performance. For journalism, this means hiring and retaining reporters from different walks of life for more nuanced, creative reporting, and centering equity throughout senior management, who determine which stories are told and how.

2. It’s Good Ethics

Journalism’s equity problem has done significant damage. Color of Change’s 2017 report, “A Dangerous Distortion of Our Families,” examined representations of families, by race, in national and local media. It found that media disproportionately associated Black families with both poverty and criminality, stereotyping that has helped justify the historic over-policing of Black communities.

This biased reporting has existed for decades. In They Came to Toil, Dr. Melita Garza analyzes newspaper representations of Mexicans in the Great Depression, finding some of the same dehumanizing language being used today. This rhetoric has real-life consequences, from emboldening racist, anti-immigrant federal policies, to deadly violence against communities of color in places like Charleston and El Paso.

Let’s be clear: Journalists from historically marginalized communities should not be solely responsible for ensuring biases are checked in their respective newsrooms. All journalists should be aware of their biases and have the necessary tools at hand to recognize them in their reporting. There must be an equitable diversity of sources, stories, and staff which centers communities that have been harmed in the past.

3. It’s Good Journalism

What we’ve learned from supporting engaged journalism is that good reporting comes from deep listening. Listening not just to existing audiences, but to communities that haven’t been reached — particularly those that have been underserved by mainstream media.

News outlets must take into account the information needs of all communities, seek genuine input to determine those needs, and take time to develop trust. This investment in time and energy is critical, not only for serving communities more meaningfully, but also for producing the highest quality journalism.

What funders can do today to begin centering equity:

Join the Racial Equity in Journalism Fund. This new joint fund supports news outlets led by and serving communities of color. They just announced their first round of grants, and you should see the important work they’re funding.
Invest in organizations that support equity in journalism. Our Journalism DEI Tracker features over 70 groups that need more support in the work they are doing with newsrooms across the country. Our Journalism DEI Wheel shows different approaches to consider.
Examine the inequitable practices within philanthropy that we must correct. Resources to get started include the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy’s “Power Moves,” Equity in the Center’s “Awake to Woke to Work,” and Frontline Solutions’ “Equity Footprint.” We also highly recommend Edgar Villanueva’s book, Decolonizing Wealth (a great purchase to support your local independent bookstore right now).

Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing more resources, approaches and stories about equity in journalism. We invite you to join the conversation — follow us on Medium, or tweet us at @lmariahtrusty and @thedas.

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Op-Ed

Philanthropy and the Future of Local News

Josh Stearns

April 13, 2020

As businesses close, revenue from advertising is drying up and journalists are facing layoffs, furloughs, and the possibility of their newsrooms closing down—just when we need them most. In this moment, as our nation and our nation’s newsrooms face profound challenges, what happened in New Jersey holds lessons for all of us.

Cover Photo: Free Press Action Fund News Voices Director Mike Rispoli testifying in the New Jersey Statehouse (credit: Tim Karr) (Democracy Fund did not make grants or earmark funds to support Free Press Action Fund’s lobbying efforts).

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Blog

New Report Shows Ways Funders Can Engage Christian Leaders to Promote Pluralism

Chris Crawford

April 10, 2020

As Christians prepare to celebrate Easter, they are facing a challenging environment in which church doors will be closed and families will be gathered over FaceTime and Zoom rather than in person. Some families have loved ones suffering from the novel coronavirus — and thousands are mourning a loss of someone they love.

But no matter the obstacles, faith leaders play an important role in strengthening community connections — not just within their own congregations, but within the wider world.

For the past three years, Democracy Fund’s Faith in Democracy initiative has engaged with and empowered faith leaders around building bridges, overcoming polarization, and promoting pluralism. As we have listened to leaders at the intersection of faith and politics, we have consistently heard that Christians in the United States have an opportunity to lead our country toward a future in which everyone feels like they belong. Making up roughly 70 percent of the population, Christian leaders and their organizations can often play a harmful role in driving polarization in our country, but they also have an opportunity to play an important role in efforts to overcome those divisions.

At Democracy Fund, we wanted to understand more: where do common ground and aligned visions exist when it comes to engaging in politics through the lens of faith? Where do divisions persist? Most importantly, we wanted to know how we and our partners could support Christian leaders to make pluralism a priority in their ministries and in the ways they engage in public life.

Trinity Forum fellow Michael Wear and Wheaton College Professor Dr. Amy Black have conducted significant research around these questions. On February 24th, Trinity Forum released their report, “Christianity, Pluralism, and Public Life in the United States: Insights from Christian Leaders,” with financial support from Democracy Fund. Wear and Black interviewed a diverse group of more than 50 Christian leaders from across denominational, racial, and political lines about how they engage with our public institutions, and their views on the topic of pluralism.

In addition to providing a framework for religious leaders to engage in politics, the report also sheds light on how philanthropy and our civic institutions can empower Christian leaders to achieve the shared goal of a stronger, more pluralistic democracy.

The Mutual Benefits of Promoting Pluralism

While there are deep disagreements among Christians themselves in the United States — from theology to political leanings and policy stances — Wear and Black “were somewhat surprised to find such commonality” as it relates to pluralism and bridge-building.

They found that Christians have a shared moral language and vocabulary that span across denominations and perspectives. This framework as well as the way their houses of worship are rooted in their communities means that Christian leaders are in a unique position to conduct bridge building work at the local level. According to the report:

“One of the most resounding themes…was the importance of working at the local level. Although local communities are not immune from some of the negative effects of polarization, direct service and grassroots activism provide opportunities to work across political, racial, socio-economic, religious, and other differences.”

Funders have an opportunity to identify effective models of local bridge-building in Christian communities, invest in their long-term development, and use lessons learned to scale them across the country.

We are used to thinking about the ways in which religious pluralism can serve as a bedrock for better civic engagement, greater social cohesion, or desirable policy outcomes. While interviewees shared this sentiment, they also expressed something else: religious pluralism strengthens individual faith communities in their own right. Rather than supporting religious pluralism simply as a framework for policy advocacy or their own religious freedom, these leaders said that religious pluralism actually strengthens the practices of their individual faith communities. In other words, when individual Christian denominations seek to understand their neighbors from different faith traditions, they grow stronger in the knowledge and practice of their own faith.

This finding creates an important opportunity for both religious and nonreligious funders: investing in religious pluralism simultaneously strengthens our democratic institutions, creates a greater sense of belonging in our communities, and strengthens individual faith traditions.

Opportunities for Funders

With their report, Michael Wear and Amy Black have created a compelling framework for the ways in which Christian leaders, institutions — and funders — can strengthen American pluralism. Funders without a religious mandate often shy away from investing within specific faith traditions. But at Democracy Fund, we have learned that one of the best ways to support pluralism and belonging — which are critical to our democracy — is to invest in credible, influential faith leaders who can make the case for pluralism through values and language that resonate with their denominations. This report confirms that this leadership exists in America, and we know from experience that their efforts are under-resourced.

In 2020, faith leaders can play a crucial role in protecting our civic institutions when it is needed most — and funders should seize the opportunity to engage with faith-based communities to protect our democracy. Together, we can empower faith leaders to build stronger communities and a more inclusive America.