The New York Amsterdam News is one of 16 news organizations to receive the Racial Equity in Journalism (REJ) Fund from the Borealis Philanthropy. The Fund is sending a total of $2.3 million in grants to communities of color across the country.
The REJ Fund, launched in September 2019, aims to bolster the capacity and sustainability of news organizations led by people of color and partners in equity in order to increase civic engagement for communities of color. The Fund’s inaugural grantee cohort all serve audiences who have been historically underserved by mainstream media including Black, Native, and Latinx people, immigrants, refugees, rural communities, and poor and low-income people.
In an interview with the AmNews, REJ Program Officer Tracie Powell said that the goal of the grants is to give legacy publications and digital startups sustainability.
“We wanted to help these organizations with a strategic plan to survive,” Powell said. “We look at this as the first step to developing a strategy to becoming sustainable.”
Weeks after publications were awarded the grants, the COVID-19 pandemic began. Powell said the funds will help with the need for more diverse voices in coverage during the coronavirus crisis.
“Most of the grants are general operating fund grants that can be used to pay for a reporter, engagement director or advertising manager. Ideally, what we would like to see is for any hire to generate revenue.”
A study commissioned by the Fund in August 2019 to develop an understanding of the current landscape of news media outlets led by and serving communities of color found that 63% of outlets surveyed cited limited revenue sources as the greatest challenge to long-term sustainability.
The Fund is providing news organizations utilizing a variety of mediums including print, digital, radio, video, and more. Like other grantees, the AmNews plans to use its grant to enhance its digital presence.
Grantees will also use support from the REJ Fund to identify how to make their business models more sustainable in the long-term. For example, news organizations will use REJ Fund grants to hire development staff, conduct advertising experiments and implement membership models.
“The COVID-19 global pandemic and the sometimes overwhelming stream of information makes clear the need for trusted news sources that prioritize the needs of underserved communities, who will be among the most impacted,” said Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies. “During times of crisis, critical resources, supplies and attention are mostly aimed at the advantaged. The Racial Equity in Journalism Fund will bolster a strong, diverse, and independent media sector serving the public interest, at a time when communities of color need these outlets the most.”
