Knight Foundation to invest in publishers of color

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has announced an investment of over $4 million over three years to aid local publishers of color become more financially sustainable.

The investments include:

The Knight x LMA BloomLab, a program that is expanding to invest $1.3 million in 26 Black-owned local news outlets.
Startup networks Capital B and URL Media, as well as the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Gwen Ifill Mentorship Program to increase newsroom leadership diversity.

Jim Brady, Knight’s vice president of Journalism said:

“These investments show just how important continued support for publishers of color remains in the industry. Many legacy Black newspapers remain trusted voices in their communities, but have struggled as more Americans get their news from digital sources. Supporting legacy newsrooms and nurturing startup networks run by innovative leaders shows our commitment to publishers of color, helping Knight better serve the information needs of these communities.”