As prepared for delivery

Good morning, and welcome to the 18th annual Knight Media Forum.  

I know what a sacrifice it is for so many of you to come to Miami in the middle of February. So thank you — all one thousand of you — for being here.  

At the reception last night, I had the chance to reconnect with so many of you. I heard about what brought you here. “We need encouragement,” some said. It’s “group therapy,” others said.  

But here’s what I heard over and over again: “KMF is a community.”  

Indeed it is. And this community has work to do. So let’s get to it…  

Last week, I spent time with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who came to Miami to speak with young leaders about civic engagement. She spoke powerfully about the role every one of us plays in our democracy.  

Civic engagement, she has said, “is about every act we do as a little ‘c’ citizen to help solve a problem that the community has. It is what we undertake as individuals to help resolve difficulties in the world around us.”  

Right now, we are at an inflection point for American democracy. Our system of checks and balances is being tested like never before in my lifetime.  

We are at a moment when every act each of us undertakes – as a little ‘c’ citizen – takes on outsize importance. We are at a moment when each of us must take action, as an individual, to help resolve difficulties in the world around us.  

Looking out at this room, I see journalists and civic leaders, entrepreneurs and funders, scholars and artists — the biggest Knight Media Forum in our history, by a long shot.  

Together, we have the power to shape our democracy and our nation for the better.  

There is so much to do, and there is no room for bystanders.  

The headlines weigh heavily on all of us. They paint a picture of powerlessness, of systems too broken to fix, of problems too vast to solve.  

Yet what I’ve witnessed over the past year tells a different story. When I first stood on this stage as Knight’s new president and CEO, I brought with me an urgency born of decades in the news industry.  

I promised that we would honor Knight’s legacy of innovation – while accelerating our response to today’s pressing issues.  

I promised that we would move at the speed of news.  

That commitment has guided my first year. I immersed myself not just in Knight’s work, but also in yours. I traveled to Knight cities across America, meeting with partners and grantees. I connected with philanthropic leaders, civic organizations, journalists, and cultural institutions. I studied our impact, witnessed our investments at work, and saw firsthand how your efforts are shaping communities.  

Over the past year, I’ve seen example after example of how power grows in the places — our communities — where trust remains.  

At the end of last year, during a panel discussion here in Miami, a woman rose to ask a question that cut to the heart of this moment. “Who can we count on,” she asked, “when the world feels like it’s collapsing around us?”  

In her voice was the question of our time — about power, who holds it, and how we reclaim it. In her eyes, I saw what I’ve seen in every city I’ve visited: unwavering determination, in the face of challenges, to find solutions.  

I understood her feelings. When we look at our national challenges — the acrimony, the unrest, the division — it’s easy to feel powerless. It’s easy to think that no one person, that no amount of reporting or organizing, can make a difference.  

Here’s what I told her then, and what I’ll share with you now: the power to create change is not lost — it’s local.  

It lives in every single one of us. It rests in the hands of committed people working in their own communities, where the daily work of renewal continues.  

In this time of upheaval, those almost 250-year-old words still hold true: we, the people, have the power.  

In city after city, I’ve seen how you — and your neighbors and friends — are coming together to solve problems, to rebuild trust, to strengthen connection.  

You are using your power.  

Consider what I witnessed in Macon, Georgia, last spring. There, NewTown Macon has pioneered novel approaches to revitalizing their historic downtown, and they’ve transformed not just buildings but the community’s sense of possibility.  

Or in Philadelphia, where the “Every Voice, Every Vote” program, supported by our friends at the Lenfest Institute, built a coalition of 130 media outlets, community nonprofits, and civic-minded social media creators. Together, they produced unprecedented election coverage that helped citizens make informed decisions about their city’s future. They demonstrated the difference a thriving news ecosystem makes in our democracy.  

Or in Akron, Ohio, where we’ve watched Dan Rice and Howard Parr lead the development of the remarkable Lock 3 park, creating more than just a public space. They built a year-round focal point for Akron’s thriving arts scene, a place where the community comes together every day. Because shared spaces show us a path toward a shared future.  

Or in Detroit, where Sonya Mays and her Develop Detroit team helped to create the Detroit People’s Food Co-op, a community-owned supermarket that brings fresh and nutritious options to what had been a food desert.  

What I witnessed, again and again, is that local people — people who care deeply about their neighbors — people with audacious ideas and passion and grit — are ensuring their communities not only survive, but thrive.  

Power grows where trust remains. And the people have the power.  

Yes, Washington remains mired in division and chaos. But people in local communities are coming together. While national media fragments, local voices are finding new ways to reach their audiences.  

Engaged, committed citizens are the key to making our communities — and ultimately our country — stronger.  

Their work reminds us of something essential. Democracy isn’t just a system of government; it’s the daily practice of civic life.  

It happens when a citizen speaks up at a city council meeting.  

When a reader digs into a news story.  

When a curious young person visits a library.  

When our imaginations are moved by art.  

It is in the thousand small decisions that shape our shared future every day. That is where democracy happens.  

It is the people, we the people, exercising our power.  

This power of local action isn’t new to Knight Foundation. It’s in our DNA.  

Seventy-five years ago this December, Jack and Jim Knight created a foundation with a clear vision. They understood two fundamental truths. First, that strong journalism and healthy communities are inextricably linked; and, second, that future generations would need the flexibility to adapt the foundation’s work to meet the challenges of their time.  

Over the decades, Knight Foundation has evolved to meet changing needs, but our guiding vision has remained constant.  

We elevate and invest in breakthroughs that spark larger movements across the nation. We supercharge the knowledge and capability of visionary leaders. We know that communities are strongest when we value and empower every member. And our strength has always been our deep local roots.  

This local connection matters now more than ever. Americans still trust our neighbors. In fact, recent research from the Pew-Knight Initiative shows we trust them more than any other source for news about our communities. We still believe in our libraries, still care about our local downtowns, and still work together to keep our communities strong.  

This trust is precious — and it is precarious.  

We’ve seen how quickly it can erode when local news disappears, when community institutions weaken, when connections fray. But we’ve also seen how it can be rebuilt, relationship by relationship, community by community, story by story.  

You’re all familiar with Press Forward. It isn’t just another funding initiative — it’s a half-billion-dollar affirmation of the core belief that local journalism is essential to democracy. Importantly, it’s bringing new funders to this urgent work.  

As part of Press Forward, Knight Foundation doubled our commitment to journalism to 300 million dollars over five years. To meet the urgency of the moment, we’ve already committed 150 million dollars in year one.  

Our bias toward action goes far beyond investments in journalism.  

We’ve seen that where investment in communities grows, so does the people’s power.  

So here is my challenge to each of you. How can we, as individuals, meet this moment?  

We, the people, hold the power.  

How will you use your power?  

What will you choose to do with it?  

There is no room for bystanders.  

Let’s get to work.