US newspapers receive $2 million in donations

Seven news organizations receive support from a philanthropic organization

Seven Georgia-based news stations in the U.S., all led by people of color and targeting black, Hispanic or Asian-American audiences, will receive a combined $2 million. Pivot Fund – a new charity led by Tracey Powell. The program invests in media vehicles that have been neglected by traditional development sectors.

“We spent 6 months looking across the state to find out what assets were available, how people used the information, where they got it, and what they did after they got it.“said Powell, who spearheaded racial equality at the press fund and chaired the committee. Lion Publishers (And that was a long time ago Thinking about low-income communities in journalism)

“It’s a little different than what other funders do. They tend to find people they know or do open calls. A better way is to ask communities how and where they get information.

Here are 7 guys, Who will receive a combination of direct grants and advisory support:

• BEE TV Network – CEO April Ross began reporting and broadcasting news on Facebook and owns a cable TV channel with a reach of 600,000 viewers. In the city of LaGrange, the vehicle is cited by both black and white residents as a source of information that unifies the city around a common truth;
• Pasa la Voz Savannah – On a Facebook page with nearly 15,000 followers, founder Elizabeth Clara covers everything from crime to social events and practical information aimed at helping Spanish-speaking immigrants and their children navigate past misinformation and succeed in American society.
• Notice – A bridge between Georgia’s growing Hispanic population and local businesses, organizations and government. CEO Monica Pirela — who was a journalist in Venezuela — and Jay Cruz, an editor and cameraman, post primarily on Facebook and Instagram, then distribute to Spanish-language radio stations, sharing news coverage with radio stations in Atlanta, Augusta and southern Georgia.
• Davis Broadcasting And Courier Environment Latin. Georgia’s largest black-owned radio network, with 36 stations in Columbus and Atlanta, serves a predominantly African-American and Hispanic population with music, culture, community news and sports. Courier Eco Latino Started as a bilingual newspaper in 2005 to serve the African American and Latino communities in Columbus, Courier Eco Latino has become a one-man operation online during the pandemic. However, president and editor Wane Hailes started a streaming channel on YouTube called CEL TV and collaborated with Davis on political forums and events. This news collaboration will be expanded as part of the donation.
• Georgia Asian Times And Tomorrow’s pictures. The digital publisher and award-winning video production company will collaborate to report and produce a documentary about a Burmese immigrant community that, like many, initially settled in the Atlanta suburb of Clarkston, but now works in chicken processing and warehouses. Georgia.

The Pivot Fund plans to invest a total of $6 million over the next 3 years in Georgia, but its broader mission is to raise and invest $500 million in independent news organizations led by people of color across the country.

These organizations exist in communities, which they refer to as “many News deserts” Paul said. “BThese communities may have had a weekly newspaper. There may be a daily newspaper that could serve them, but it has shrunk to the point where it can no longer do so. Or, even when the daily paper flourished, it did not cover these communities. But what’s different now is that these companies don’t just cover communities — their messages and information fill information gaps. They lift the entire information system.“

Mostly these companies rely on Facebook. “They begin“Paul said.”They don’t have sources like many of the news organizations we’ve talked to. They have to use what they have. Social media is easy to access and in most cases free. Facebook plays a big role in this”.

Media outlets are somewhat protected from Facebook’s algorithm changes, Powell said, “Because your audience is actively looking for them. Because Facebook is difficult to cut off this connection with society [os leitores] Seriously go and search for BEE TV or Notivision. It’s not as negative as it could be.” However, Pivot Fund plans to work with Facebook-based users to ensure their content is available on their own platforms, such as newsletters.

“You can call these rural areas state news deserts. But there are oases in these deserts”Pavel said. “And these are the companies we fund.”

The text was translated by journalism intern Luisa Guimaraes. Read the original text English.

oh Power is 360 It has partnered with two divisions Niman FoundationIn Harvard: Oh Nieman Journalism Lab It is Niman reports. The agreement includes translating Nieman Journalism Lab and Nieman Reports texts into Portuguese and publishing this content on Poder360. To access all published translations, click here.