Knight Foundation makes $50K grant to MarylandReporter.com; Ethics and Excellence Journalism Foundation renews support

Knight Foundation makes $50K grant to MarylandReporter.com; Ethics and Excellence Journalism Foundation renews support

kflogo-tag-3000pxThe John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has awarded a $50,000 grant to MarylandReporter.com over the next two years to help grow and diversify its revenue and audience.

In addition, the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation has given its second grant to MarylandReporter.com, providing $25,000 over the next year to “support expanded accountability journalism on Maryland government.”Ethics and Excellence in Journalism logo

MarylandReporter.com is a four-year-old news website devoted to state government and politics. It is a Maryland nonprofit corporation designated as a 501(c)(3) organization, meaning it is eligible for foundation grants and contributions to it are tax deductible.

Knight Foundation funding was awarded as part of its Local Media Initiative that aims to help nonprofit news organizations establish long-term sustainability. The initiative comprises various other investments in digital media, including $3.5 million in grants to over 25 local online news organizations that have demonstrated potential for growth, operating for at least three years, and the INNovation Fund, promotes newsroom innovation.

“This investment is intended to help organizations that have shown promise develop new innovations, while adding to the momentum they have already built towards further growth and sustainability,” said Michael Maness, Knight Foundation vice president of journalism and media innovation.

March 13-2014 MR fundraiser medium web adMarylandReporter.com has also received funding in past years from the Abell Foundation, the John Leidy Foundation, the Rothschild Arts Foundations and the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity. Funding has also come from over 200 sponsors and contributors listed on the website.

MarylandReporter.com also generates income through contract writing for The Business Monthly, What’s Up magazines, Washingtonian and other news organizations. And it accepts advertising to reach its audience of policymakers, advocates, activists and others interested in what state government is doing for them and to them.

Keeping state government accountable

According to its mission statement:

“MarylandReporter.com is a daily news website produced by journalists committed to making state government as open, transparent, accountable and responsive as possible – in deed, not just in promise. We believe the people who pay for this government are entitled to have their money spent in an efficient and effective way, and that they are entitled to keep as much of their hard-earned dollars as they possibly can. These taxpayers also expect their government:

  • to aggressively protect public safety and public health;
  • to act as the caregiver of last resort to care for the poor, the sick, the ignorant, the disabled, the abused and the victims of crime;
  • to provide an adequate transportation infrastructure;
  • to promote their state as a place that is business friendly and environmentally sound.

“We believe that these goals should be pursued without waste, fraud or abuse and with approaches that do not automatically favor the government’s involvement, funding and growth.”

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. “We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged.”

About The Author

Len Lazarick

len@marylandreporter.com

Len Lazarick was the founding editor and publisher of MarylandReporter.com and is currently the president of its nonprofit corporation and chairman of its board He was formerly the State House bureau chief of the daily Baltimore Examiner from its start in April 2006 to its demise in February 2009. He was a copy editor on the national desk of the Washington Post for eight years before that, and has spent decades covering Maryland politics and government.

5 Comments

  1. InGodWeTrust

    Yes, congratulations !
    I do hope the latest ‘news’ regarding FCC ‘monitors’ being sent into “newsrooms” to ensure ‘critical info gets distributed’ (translation: big brother on steroids; foothold for communism; whatever you prefer to call it) will not include MarylandReporter types ?
    Does anyone know the ‘extent’ of this planned destruction of our freedoms of speech, press etc. – which is the reincarnation of the mis-named ‘Fairness Doctrine’ ?

  2. Dale McNamee

    Congratulations !

  3. William H. Campbell

    Congratulations! This is a very welcome and much deserved award. I read MarylandReporter.com every day for the most complete picture of Maryland politics.