ASHEVILLE — To help news organizations better serve their communities with quality news and information, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation today announced that Carolina Public Press is among the first cohort of 24 who will receive support from its $2 million, three-year technology initiative to strengthen digital publishing solutions in newsrooms.
“We’re grateful for the Knight Foundation’s support and continued efforts to encourage the kind of high quality journalism that engages citizens and local governments to create real change,” said Carolina Public Press Executive Director Angie Newsome.
“This funding will allow us to improve the creation and distribution of our investigative journalism, reinforce community engagement and develop opportunities to sustain and grow our newsroom, so we can continue our mission to deliver nonpartisan, independent journalism to all North Carolinians. And, we’re delighted to be among the list of newsrooms that are making a difference.”
The first group of support recipients includes a mix of nonprofit news organizations, small commercial community newspapers and new digital upstarts. Of the selected newsrooms, 58% are nonprofit organizations; 58% are led by or serve communities of color; and 42% are committed to delivering local journalism.
“Now, more than ever, it’s critical for newsrooms and publishers to adopt digital solutions that meet audiences where they are and provide new revenue opportunities,” said Paul Cheung, Knight Foundation director for journalism and technology innovation. “These outstanding news organizations now have the opportunity to leverage technology to maximize their revenue and better serve their communities.”
Carolina Public Press is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit statewide news organization devoted to in-depth and investigative reporting across North Carolina.
The grant will primarily support the organization’s migration to the Newspack website publishing platform, a move that will assist the organization in activities that prioritize and enhance audience growth and outreach, foster business development, and streamline editorial content production.