Press Forward is a national initiative designed to leverage philanthropy to revitalize local news, and new funders are quickly joining the effort. With more than $500 million already raised, and more than two dozen local Press Forward chapters up and running, this surge is demonstrating the tremendous collective commitment of communities and philanthropists to news—a cornerstone of American democracy. 

But reinventing local journalism will require more than just financial backing and good intentions.

Journalism is grounded in a complex set of ethics and standards, all aimed at serving the public while maintaining independence from outside influences. As new funders begin to support local news, it’s critical that they understand the ethics and standards of journalism. Knight Foundation is one of the largest funders of journalism in the U.S., and we’ve long been working to support and reinvent local journalism. Thanks to that experience we understand the challenges and complexities of funding journalism. As many new funders enter the scene, we think it’s important they learn these principles as well.

That’s why we recently announced a five-year partnership with the Poynter Institute to train donors on how to best fund journalism. For nearly 50 years, Poynter has been a nationally respected leader in training newsrooms in ethics, craft, leadership and sustainability. Now, it will take on the work to educate those new to funding journalism—a crucial step in ensuring that philanthropic support for local news not only persists but thrives.

Poynter’s training for journalism funders will provide primers on the rules of engagement between news organizations and their financial supporters. As more foundations discover ways to enhance the civic health of their communities, this program will ensure that their investments are grounded in a solid understanding of journalism’s role in democracy.

The stakes are high. Press Forward has a lifespan of five years, and the work to ensure sustained funding support for local journalism must begin now. Training less experienced journalism funders on what makes the craft so vital will give them more time to consider and make smart investments, thus making it more likely support will endure. 

This Knight-Poynter initiative is about building a common understanding of the kind of fact-based, accurate, and independent journalism Press Forward was created to support. The training will conduct at least 10 in-person funder training programs annually; create virtual, on-demand video funder training; provide slide decks and guidebooks for internal use; and conduct four six-month virtual training sessions for funders focused on journalistic craft, business and audience engagement strategies and news ethics. 

As Knight and Poynter embark on this new chapter together, our collective commitment to journalism’s future is clearer than ever. This collaboration is another critical way we are addressing the needs of the complex local news ecosystem so we can fortify our communities and strengthen journalism’s wobbly but essential pillar of democracy.