From Eric Newton, VP/Journalism Program, Knight Foundation:

Much well-deserved buzz over the Reconstruction of American Journalism, a new report by Leonard Downie, Jr., and Michael Schudson. To its credit, Columbia Journalism Review is reporting even critical reaction. Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab calls the report “a welcome palate cleanser.”

The report supports easier nonprofit designation for news organizations, more foundation money for journalism, changing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting into the Corporation for Public Media, more news organizations based at universities, an FCC Fund for Local News and greater government transparency. The document credits Knight Foundation’s work in media innovation. (More on foundation support for news can be found here, for example, and more on open government can be found here.)

On Oct. 2, the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy issued its own report with 15 recommendations for improving the flow of news and information to communities. Topping that list: universal broadband access, digital literacy and greater news innovation in both the public and private sector.