From Eric Newton, VP/Journalism, Knight Foundation:

Big news day: The Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy has released its’report. National coverage from the AP, Washington Post and many others.’ Friday’s launch featured pledges from the leaders of the Federal Communication Commission and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, as well as the nation’s chief technology officer, to use the report to advance universal broadband access, public media innovation and open government. CPB announced its committment to innovation in a partnership with Knight Foundation on National Public Radio’s’ Argo Project, to bring online reporting to a dozen cities. In all, Knight Foundation’s new grants advancing the report amounted to’more than seven million dollars, including more than a dozen in public libraries in places such as Charlotte and Tallahassee, and new nonprofit reporting projects like the Texas Tribune.

Aspen Institute is hosting a forum to discuss the commission report here. The grassroots group Free Press wants to push ahead with the recommendations.’ New America Foundation is launching new media policy fellowships to track and critique responses to the report.’ Interesting also that Google’s new project (to spend millions on top ideas that people vote for), contain three that are totally in line with’the Knight Commission’s recommendations.’ You can vote for news, data and open government here.