For immediate release: February 8, 2008

 

Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation Announces

$1.14 Million in Grants to Journalism Organizations

 

(Oklahoma City) --- Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation announced today the distribution of $1.14 Million in grants to 23 journalism organizations nationwide.

 

Edith Kinney Gaylord founded Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation in 1982 to support local and national efforts to improve the quality of journalism practices among various media. The Foundation provides funding for projects that promote excellence and instill high ethical standards in journalism.

 

“The journalism field currently faces the challenge of confronting a multitude of changes,” said Bob Ross, President and CEO of Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation. “Many grants awarded by the Foundation are aimed at training journalists to adapt to this changing environment, in addition to enhancing the educational opportunities of students interested in journalism.”

 

Organizations awarded grants from Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation include:

         

  • $200,000 for the Challenge Fund for Journalism V, a grant program sponsored by Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, Ford Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and McCormick Tribune Foundation. The program, for organizations in the journalism field, seeks to enhance organizational capacity and readiness for fundraising and supports participant organizations with a matching challenge grant to assist in implementing donor development strategies.

    

  • $170,000 to Radio and Television News Directors Foundation for a conference panel discussion where news executives discuss how journalism standards have been affected by technology, four ethical news decision-making workshops for television and radio journalists, and a high school broadcast journalism training initiative for teachers in partnership with the Oklahoma Scholastic Media print workshop in summer 2008.

    

  • $75,000 to American Press Institute for a series of seminars for newspapers, state press associations and journalism organizations on the ethical issues raised by the challenges of innovation including the manipulation and staging of photos and videos; anonymous comments, libel, and community blogs; and maintaining standards while generating new revenue streams.

         

  • $75,000 to Investigative Reporters and Editors for Watchdog Workshops and for development of interactive web tutorials on best practices of investigative journalism.

                   

  • $50,000 to Northwestern University for Media Management Center research project to understand attitudes, behaviors, experiences, preferences and needs of young people in using the Internet for news.

         

  • $50,000 to Oregon State University for two years of the Summer Journalism Workshop for Minority High School Students.

         

  • $40,000 to San Francisco State University for expansion of the Center for Integration and Improvement of Journalism's High School Outreach Program.

              

  • $30,000 to Institutes for Journalism & Natural Resources for the Energy Country Institute, an expedition-style program that will take journalists to the Four Corners area of New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Utah to meet with experts in energy economics and business, energy production technologies and regulations, energy conservation, renewable energy development, and climate science and policy.

         

  • $25,000 to Association for Women in Sports Media to expand its intern and scholarship program with an annual paid internship position, and to initiate a mid-career training program that would provide training grants to members.

         

  • $25,000 to National Association of Hispanic Journalists for creating, marketing and promoting a Parity Project website that will be a virtual gathering place for newsroom managers, the Latino community and journalists to exchange ideas.

              

  • $10,000 to Creative Visions Foundation for a travel exhibition based on the life and work of photojournalist Dan Eldon who was killed at the age of 22 while on assignment with Reuters in Somalia in 1993.

                   

Grants ranging from $7,500 to $100,000 were also awarded to Fund for Investigative Journalism, Alfred Friendly Foundation, University of Montana, Hutchinson Community College, Ball State University, Children’s PressLine, University of Maryland, Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, Street Sense, WYPR Public Radio, University of Alabama and Denver Voice.

 

For more information on Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation please visit www.journalismfoundation.org or call 405-604-5388.

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