Studies have long demonstrated that strong local journalism can encourage higher voter turnout, counter polarizing narratives, expose corruption, and lead to people feeling a strong…
Ideas
Explore insights, lessons, and resources from our work
Democracy Fund staff — alongside grantees, researchers, and other field experts — regularly develops resources and shares lessons on strengthening democracy. Here you will find guides, reports, and insights from our team and network.
Today Press Forward, the national movement investing more than $500 million to strengthen communities and local news, announced a new cohort of 11 Press Forward…
Announcement
Democracy Fund Invests $4 Million in Multi-Year Grants to Support Newsrooms that Center People of Color
Newsrooms that center people of color are at the forefront of reinventing journalism. Support for these newsrooms is a core piece of Democracy Fund’s Equitable…
Reliable information fuels our lives. We need to know who is on the ballot, what’s happening in our schools, where to find rental assistance, and…
A national coalition of 20 funders announced an exciting new initiative on September 7th. Press Forward plans to invest more than $500 million into local…
In April 2022, Democracy Fund announced our new organizational strategy with a commitment to investing in the power and leadership of communities of color to…
At Democracy Fund, we see every day how local news strengthens democracy. People rely on local news to figure out who to vote for, how…
Journalists of color make up less than 17 percent of newsroom staff, and account for just 13 percent of newsroom leadership. Why are these numbers…
Last summer, solidarity became a national buzzword. Thousands of people declared and demanded solidarity against racism in the wake of police murdering George Floyd and…
Last year, we published “Dear Funders: What Does it Mean to Care About Equity in Journalism?” where we outlined three priorities for foundations seeking to…
This week’s tragedy could have been avoided. For months, AAPI women in journalism have been sounding the alarm on the dramatic rise in racist and xenophobic attacks. Unfortunately,…
2020 was a marathon for journalists preparing for an election that seemed very likely to go off the rails. They did it while also facing unprecedented…
As part of our series of conversations with journalism leaders serving communities of color, I spoke with Alvaro Gurdián, Vice President of Operations at La Noticia, on how they’re adapting…
In late September, the LA Times editorial board wrote, “For at least its first 80 years, the Los Angeles Times was an institution deeply rooted…
As part of our continuing conversations with journalism leaders centering communities of color, I recently chatted with Jiquanda Johnson, the founder, publisher, and executive editor of Flint Beat, a…
Racial equity is the defining issue of this year, of this generation, and as a result, of the 2020 U.S. elections. Nationwide uprisings and protests…
In 2020, journalism went from rapid economic disruption to a full-blown existential meltdown. Already wracked by #MeToo scandals, major outlets found themselves failing to meet the…
Blog
Beyond the statement: How journalism funders can act in solidarity with marginalized communities
“We stand in solidarity with Black communities. Black Lives Matter.” Organizations, businesses, and groups across the United States sent this statement to millions of people…
One of the many ways funders can support equitable journalism is by investing in fair, just, and accurate reporting on and representation of Muslim Americans.…
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…