When I joined the Knight Foundation a few months ago, I emphasized the need for philanthropy to act swiftly—'at the speed of news'—to address urgent needs in real time. Today, I am proud to announce that Knight is investing nearly $7 million to help voters access accurate, independent, nonpartisan information about the 2024 elections.
The loss of local newsrooms across so many American communities has a devastating impact. And it is felt acutely at times when residents most need quality information to make critical decisions — during major weather or public safety events and election seasons, for example. Without trustworthy news, voters could be in the dark about local and statewide elections and ballot initiatives. Exacerbating the challenge, the advent of generative AI has significantly accelerated the creation and distribution of mis- and disinformation, making it even more difficult for voters to arrive at fact-based decisions.
To address this, Knight's grant supports a collaboration between The Associated Press and the Institute for Nonprofit News News and LION: Local Independent Online News Publishers. This initiative will make high-quality election content and services accessible to local newsrooms in battleground states. Local newsrooms will also receive the support needed to localize this information, making it relevant and accessible to their communities.
Additionally, these funds will support the Knight Election Hub, a collection of 100 free and subsidized resources, including data, software, and training. As new challenges such as deepfakes arise, the Hub will continue to expand its offerings to meet evolving needs.
These initiatives support local news organizations in two ways: 1) they empower them with high quality tools that provide critical information, ensuring voters can make informed decisions about elections, and 2) they enhance their capacity to engage communities beyond the election season.
The time is now for philanthropy to move at the speed of news. Read more about it here: https://kf.org/461zcGi
#localnews #journalismmatters Jim Brady Duc Luu Marc Lavallee