"A group of us in the nonprofit news biz had an honest chat about something we can't resist: reporting grants. They aren't necessarily essential to nonprofit newsrooms (and more than a few for-profit ones, too), but they definitely have their place in the overall revenue mix. Some newsrooms even budget for them a year ahead, sight unseen. These grants often do wonderful things: opening the door to great reporting, connecting with new audiences, winning awards. But not everything with this money is always wine and Sweet Williams."
"Reality intrudes and the story premise shifts on you, or you have to pull your lead project reporter to cover something completely unexpected. The funder might have no idea how journalism works."
"That last potential pitfall was not on my radar when three of us first talked about having a breakout session in St. Louis at LION Publishers' Independent News Sustainability Summit. (Hat-tip to Nina Misuraca Ignaczak at Planet Detroit and Dana Coester at 100 Days in Appalachia.) With Press Forward launching local chapters and the general momentum for philanthropists to get into the journalism game, there are a lot of people at the table who have never worked in a newsroom or spent much time talking to journalists about how the sausage is made. Tension can result."
Short-term reporting grants typically range from $2,000 to $15,000 and fund focused projects with web buildouts and community conversations. These grants can open doors to strong reporting, connect with new audiences, and lead to awards. Challenges include shifting story premises, pulling reporters to cover unexpected events, and funders who do not understand newsroom processes or who expect only promotional coverage. Such mismatches create tension between funders and journalists. Advance planning, clear expectations, and awareness of trade-offs can improve outcomes for short-term, theme-based reporting projects.
Read at Poynter
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]