The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has announced an investment of more than $4 million over three years to help publishers of color become more financially sustainable. 

To that end, the investment builds on the foundation’s support for diverse communities and strategies to help journalists, publishers, and newsrooms build trust, reach diverse audiences, and generate sustainable revenue models. Recipients include the Knight x LMA BloomLab, which was awarded $3.2 million to expand its lab of Black-owned media outlets, including reinvestments of $50,000 to each of the 26 current Black-owned local news outlets; start-up network Capital B, which received $500,000 to launch a Black-led nonprofit news outlet; URL Media, which was awarded $250,000 in support of an expanding network of BIPOC-owned news organizations; and the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Gwen Ifill Mentorship Program, which will receive $200,000 to increase newsroom leadership diversity.

“These investments show just how important continued support for publishers of color remains in the industry,” said Knight Foundation vice president of journalism Jim Brady. “Many legacy Black newspapers remain trusted voices in their communities, but have struggled as more Americans get their news from digital sources. Supporting legacy newsrooms and nurturing startup networks run by innovative leaders shows our commitment to publishers of color, helping Knight better serve the information needs of these communities.” 

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