The First New Knight Chair In Over a Decade Knight Foundation has an established tradition of endowed academic chairs. They range in subject matter, but they have in common universities dedicated to the teaching of journalism and chair-holders who are distinguished in their field. In our view, Howard University is the right university at the […]
Article · July 6, 2021 by Alberto Ibargüen
What is the most important challenge or opportunity facing American democracy over the next ten years? What role can philanthropy play in addressing that challenge—or in seizing the opportunity? This volume explores answers to these two urgent questions. We are not disinterested observers. The Kettering Foundation and the Knight Foundation are independent organizations that invest private […]
Article · November 5, 2020 by Sam Gill and Alberto Ibargüen
The killing of George Floyd is challenging all of us to rise to the moment; a moment of justice and a moment of change. To do that, let’s first acknowledge that this isn’t about a single incident. It’s about a long line of Black Americans like George Floyd killed by police, and of criminal justice […]
Article · May 31, 2020 by Alberto Ibargüen
With the spread of COVID-19, we are in an unprecedented time in history. Knight is responding in these uncertain times by continuing to support informed and engaged communities. This means we remain committed to supporting grantees and assisting with the emergency relief underway in the 26 American communities where we operate. We have pledged the […]
Article · March 27, 2020 by Alberto Ibargüen and Sam Gill
The coronavirus situation is moving at a pace that calls for great caution. Medical authorities consistently advise that it might be slowed by proper hygiene and reducing social contact. In response and as a matter of common sense and civic responsibility, we’ve closed Knight Foundation offices, suspended all travel and canceled large gatherings. The work […]
Article · March 13, 2020 by Alberto Ibargüen
John S. and James L. Knight believed that a well-informed citizenry was essential to the proper functioning of a democratic republic, and that an engaged community could best determine its own true interests. When the brothers formed Knight Foundation, they didn’t narrowly prescribe how the foundation should operate. They merely stated they cared about excellence […]
Article · February 7, 2020 by Alberto Ibargüen
Photo: Lilly WeinbergKnight Foundation President Alberto Ibargüen addresses community leaders after accepting the Beacon Council Jay Malina Leadership Award on June 26, 2019. The text of his remarks is below. When Susana and I arrived in Miami in 1995, one of the first people I met was this skinny, black-haired guy with glasses and a […]
Article · July 1, 2019 by Alberto Ibargüen
Photo by: Albert Yee For nearly 14 years, I’ve had the privilege of leading Knight Foundation, where our mission is to strengthen democracy by supporting informed and engaged communities. We support journalism — because we believe, as Jack Knight did, that a well-informed community can best determine its own true interests, and that well-informed citizens […]
Article · June 19, 2019 by Alberto Ibargüen
Knight Media Forum 2019: Welcome remarks by Knight Foundation President Alberto Ibargüen Informed and engaged communities are the bedrock of a healthy democracy. But that bedrock has begun to quake. We meet today not just to describe the problem, but to find solutions. We’re here today because the way we inform ourselves is insufficient to […]
Article · February 26, 2019 by Alberto Ibargüen
This op-ed originally appeared in The Miami Herald and McClatchy newspapers nationwide on February 19, 2019. Reprinted with the permission of the Miami Herald. After a gunman opened fire at The Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland last year, cable news pundits rushed to determine the paper’s political bent. The answer, they discovered, is that the […]
Article · February 21, 2019 by Alberto Ibargüen
Knight Foundation President Alberto Ibargüen delivered the following remarks at a celebration of the arts in Miami at the Pérez Art Museum Miami on Dec. 3, 2018. At the event, Ibargüen announced a $37 million investment from Knight in the city’s arts ecosystem. Thank you, Victoria, and congratulations to our New Work Miami winners. I am thrilled to […]
Article · December 3, 2018 by Alberto Ibargüen