Canadian philanthropy has not traditionally viewed journalism as a funding priority. However, over the past decade, a small but growing number of foundations have started supporting journalism.
This year, Inspirit will co-develop resources that explore journalism philanthropy in Canada. We will share practical tools that are based on our experience over the past five years working with our philanthropic peers and journalism partners. These resources and tools are part of an ongoing inquiry we hope will contribute to and inform conversations between funders, journalists, and media organizations so they can successfully work together.
The first of these resources is “Funding Journalism, Strengthening Communities“, a series of case studies of philanthropic support for community-serving journalism in Canada.
The case studies in this report shine the spotlight on five journalism initiatives that have received funding from Inspirit and other Canadian foundations:
- The Local is an independent online magazine exploring urban health and social issues in Toronto.
- Spotlight: Child Welfare is a collaborative journalism project that aims to improve media coverage of the ‘child welfare’ system.
- La Converse is a Francophone digital media outlet that serves and covers communities traditionally excluded, underrepresented, or othered by Québec and Canadian media, both in news stories and in newsrooms.
- Sharing our Stories is a weekly series of stories told by Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) Elders in English and the Kanien’kéha language.
- IndigiNews is an independent, Indigenous-led publication driven by Indigenous communities’ needs that centres Indigenous cultural values and teachings.
Download the case studies here.
Do you have questions or insights about philanthropic funding for journalism in Canada? Are you interested in collaborating? Please reach out and stay tuned for upcoming resources. And read about other Inspirit partners who are reimagining community-led journalism here.
Header image credit: Anna McKenzie
