The Knight Foundation is handing out $2.6 million grants to five groups to help them promote innovation and excellence in local TV news rooms.
"Local broadcasters play a vital role in their communities, delivering news, investigative reporting, emergency information and human interest stories that viewers and listeners rely on to stay informed and make decisions," said Knight, citing a Pew Research study that found that a majority of adults rely on TV a their top source of news.
One goal of the grants it to help TV stations experiment with new formats for the digital age, as well a promoting investigative journalism and diversity.
Getting the grants will be Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism ($1.9 million), Emma Bowen Foundation ($250,000), Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc. ($390,000), Radio Television Digital News Foundation ($55,000), and The Carole Kneeland Project for Responsible Television Journalism ($50).
The projects vary from a "network of local television journalists committed to producing watchdog journalism, through regional workshops, data bootcamp trainings, and a new digital TV Watchdog Network (Investigative Reporters and Editors), to a new training conference promoting the first Amendment and quality reporting (RTDNF).
The grants come as journalists grapple with "real" "fake news" and the President's dismissal of mainstream media reports critical of his Administration as fake news.
