New PIJI research shows potential for philanthropy & news
A broad lack of awareness of the support needed by news organisations is hampering the contribution philanthropy could be making as risk capital to the future of public interest journalism, according to new research from PIJI released today.
The report, Understanding the role that philanthropy can play in supporting public interest journalism and how to enable it, was prepared by Effective Philanthropy (Regina Hill), with oversight from PIJI’s Project Steering Group (Krystian Seibert, Bill Birnbauer, Anna Draffin) and Expert Research Panel.
While there is a small pool of funders already in this space, the research found that philanthropic funders and news media organisations have limited exposure to each other, hindering understanding and development of this type of funding. Mechanical barriers including charity and taxation laws also restrict giving.
“By addressing regulatory constraints and tapping into existing cause areas, there is potential to grow philanthropic support for the not-for-profit journalism sector,” the report says.
It also notes a lack of experience within the news industry in donor engagement and presenting the social and civic impact of public interest journalism.
The research is based on interviews conducted with 37 individuals representing 41 organisations. Nine organisations were prospective grant recipients (news producers or civic society organisations adjacent to news production) and 32 organisations were funders.
Our thanks to project partners Philanthropy Australia, Australian Communities Foundation and Pro Bono Australia.
Talking Philanthropy
This week PIJI CEO Anna Draffin will be speaking at a Walkley Foundation and PS Media event to discuss why well resourced public interest journalism is intrinsic to the health of communities.
Why Philanthropy Is Backing Local Journalism will also explain the key role philanthropy is playing funding publishers in Australia and the USA.
The online event – on Wednesday, September 15 – will feature a panel of industry leaders from the USA and across Australia. The event is free, but you must register.
New PIJI Funding
PIJI is delighted to announce a new funding partnership with the Jibb Foundation to support work in mapping news production across Australia.
Launching later this year, The Big Picture will build on PIJI’s Australian Newsroom Mapping Project to create a comprehensive database of newsrooms across all states and territories.
The Jibb Foundation – the family foundation of John B Fairfax AO and his wife Libby Fairfax – is committed to supporting integrity, diversity and excellence in journalism.
Mapping Update
The Australian Newsroom Mapping Project report for August shows that expansions just edged out contractions over the course of the month, though most of the changes were backdated.
Six expansions were added, including two increases in service and four new mastheads, all related to the Today brand of newspapers in Queensland.
Four contractions were identified, all related to Seven West Media’s community newspapers in Perth.
Three newspaper mergers occurred in August, and the 2019 closure of the Weekend Courier in Rockingham was also added to the database.
Click here to read download or read the report.
PIJI Changes
The PIJI board is delighted to announce Derek Wilding, Co-Director of the Centre for Media Transition at the University of Technology Sydney, as new Chair of our Expert Research Panel (ERP).
Derek joined UTS from his role as Executive Director of the Australian Press Council. Prior to that he worked for the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). From 2000 to 2005 Derek was the Director of the Communications Law Centre at UNSW. He has also worked for the Office of Film and Literature Classification and the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance.
Derek replaces outgoing Research Chair, Margaret Simons, who remains part of the ERP, but will step down from the PIJI board. Adam Ferrier has also retired from PIJI’s board. We thank both Margaret and Adam for their enormous contributions to PIJI as founding directors.
Recent Media Coverage
Australia
- Calls for broadcaster Win to hand back $4.5m grant after axing staff, programs. The Guardian, August 10
- ABC changes social media rules for staff. The Australian, August 10
- News Corp to axe more jobs from newsroom, again. The Age, August 10
- Sky News boss takes YouTube suspension to global CEO. The Age, August 9
- ‘Destined for market failure’: regional TV’s dire warning. The Age, August 12
- Not newsy enough: Facebook spurns small publishers. SMH, August 12
- Stop press: papers make comeback. The Australian, August 23
International
- USA
US media organisations scramble to get hundreds of Afghan colleagues to safety. The Intercept, August 20 - United Kingdom
How journalists and researchers can work together to solve news industry’s problems. Journalism.co.uk, August 16 - New Zealand
NZ media fund gives boost to new Māori journalism projects, training. Asia Pacific Report, July 19
News
- A monthly selection of new research from academic and industry groups, relevant to the future of public interest journalism.
- The Australian News Media Bargaining Code: lessons for the UK, EU and beyond
Karen Lee & Sacha Molitorisz, Journal of Media Law - Examining the Australian Digital Platforms Inquiry and theorizing ‘accidental policy’
Robert G Picard, Sora Park, Journal of Digital Media & Policy - Mining a news desert: the impact of a local newspaper’s closure on political participation and engagement in the rural Australian town of Lightning Ridge , Marco Magasic, Kristy Hess, Australian Journalism Review
- The inter-institutional impact of digital platform companies on democracy: a case study of the UK media’s digital campaigning coverage , Katharine Dommett, New Media & Society
- Impacts of cross-ownership between newspapers and television on viewpoint diversity: testing one-owner-one-voice thesis , Chang Sup Park, Journalism Studies
- Mergers, acquisitions and magazine media in 2021
Elizabeth Meyers Hendrickson & Adam Subotin, Journalism Practice