The American Press Institute awarded grants to 31 local and community-based media across the country as part of expanded work with the Knight Election Hub, an initiative of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
The recipients of awards from the Election Engagement Experiment Fund represent a range of nonprofit and for-profit media across the United States, serving urban and rural communities in eight swing states and more than 10 others. With the latest awards, API has distributed funding to 58 news organizations to augment their work around 2024 elections. Last week, API announced grants to six news organizations to experiment with local influencers or trusted messengers to share their nonpartisan local journalism on elections, also alongside the Knight Election Hub. Earlier this year, 21 news organizations received funding from API its 2024 Election Coverage and Community Listening Fund.
“We believe in fostering a culture of experimentation among our news partners, one that allows them to test and develop ideas that better serve their communities,” said Michael D. Bolden, API’s CEO and executive director. “Sharing the results of this work — the lessons learned and the successes and failures — helps the entire industry build a better future for media.”
The new grants specifically help augment community engagement efforts with at least one of two strategies for community engagement: 1) community listening and conversations, and 2) the strategic use of print.
“The Knight Election Hub matches services and products with the newsrooms that need them to cover the election this year, yet we know there are ideas and practices that would be useful to newsrooms that aren’t available from the marketplace,” said Scott Klein, entrepreneur in residence at Newspack and leader of the Knight Election Hub. “That’s what is exciting with these projects. We’re able to make available the innovative, community-first engagement work API has been championing in the same way, with immediate utility for dozens of newsrooms.”
API will share insights from the projects along with additional resources and programming later this year and into 2025.
API has a range of resources for covering the 2024 elections. It also leads programs for news leaders on community engagement and trust, including its API Inclusion Index program, and strategic decisions around print products. One of API’s main areas of focus is Civic Discourse & Democracy to ensure all people have the information they need to make decisions and help their communities thrive, including and beyond elections.
The Knight Election Hub, made possible by an investment from Knight Foundation, provides resources and services to U.S. newsrooms covering the 2024 elections. These resources, which include training, data, software and even polling, help publishers serve their audiences by giving them the information they need to make informed voting decisions, have confidence in the election process and results, and understand the role newsrooms play in providing reliable civic information.
The projects started in September and run throughout this election year.
Election Engagement Experiment Fund Awards
In swing states (Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin):
Oviedo Community News (Florida) will create print fliers with QR codes and use direct mail to inform residents of the nonprofit news site’s digital voter guide and begin new community relationships.
WUSF (Florida) will build upon its Citizens Agenda model for the “Florida Matters” public affairs show and podcast by producing four special one-hour episodes in the community; the content will be available through the podcast and on YouTube.
Canopy Atlanta (Georgia) and its Community Fellows will deepen existing conversations with Atlanta residents in precincts with low voter turnout to better understand their views. They will then host an “election night listening party” with those residents to provide feedback on reporting and inform reporting on newly elected officials. They will follow up in December to inform work in 2025.
The National Trust for Local News (nationwide) will expand access to its news organizations’ print voter guide in Georgia with free distribution through libraries, community centers and other gathering places in the small and mid-size communities it serves.
Bridge Detroit (Michigan) will print and distribute voter guides at two community meetings in its “Community Priorities Model” and test connecting these print products to online engagement.
NowKalamazoo (Michigan) will enhance outreach for two projects: its “Election Answer Service,” which takes election questions from residents to report answers, and its voter forum, which will create art from residents’ “wants” and “worries” for reaction from candidates.
WDET (Michigan) will host an additional “Smart Politics” event between journalists and community members and translate its nonpartisan voter guide for distribution in Detroit’s diverse communities.
The Nevada Independent (Nevada) and Vegas PBS will collaborate on a policy-driven listening event in the Las Vegas area to inform election coverage and help evolve the new listening format for 2025.
Enlace Latino NC (North Carolina) will increase print distribution of its statewide “Essential Guide for the 2024 Elections in North Carolina,” a Spanish-language resource on the electoral process.
QCity Metro (North Carolina) will host an in-person screening of a documentary on trust in media’s connection to democracy, setting the stage for a two-way conversation about election coverage that deepens community relationships.
The 9th Street Journal at Duke University (North Carolina) and its students will host two pre- and two post-election listening sessions with Durham residents to inform, refine and assess their coverage of the election and coverage of local issues in the new year.
Richland Source (Ohio) will host and livestream a commissioners debate in Knox County and a “Candidate Conversation” in Richland County. Participants will be invited to subscribe to newsletters about election and municipal news coverage.
Signal Akron (Ohio), Akron Beacon Journal and WKSU/Ideastream Public Media will collaborate with the nonprofit Fighting to Understand as part of the We Can Disagree project, involving journalists and community members in local deliberation that helps residents find common ground and informs reporting.
Signal Cleveland (Ohio) and its Cleveland Documenters community will interview residents about the upcoming election for an on-the-ground understanding about whether people feel connected to the races and ballot issues. The team will then answer questions and fill information gaps with explainers to be printed and distributed in Cleveland neighborhoods.
LebTown (Pennsylvania) will host a community listening event in English and Spanish to inform election coverage for the local community. The event will be recorded for distribution via video and podcasting, and complement expanded day-of coverage of predominantly Hispanic polling locations in Lebanon County.
Spotlight PA (Pennsylvania) will increase print production and distribution of its voter guide materials to unaffiliated voters, an effort to inform, equip, and empower Pennsylvania voters and build new relationships for the organization’s nonpartisan journalism.
The News Lab at Penn State University (Pennsylvania) and its student journalists will complete two projects: listening sessions in districts that historically determine the state’s political direction; and text messaging through November to listen to rural county residents. Related reporting will be available for other outlets to use.
War Streets Media (Pennsylvania) will pilot for the Public Ledger a precinct analysis to help Allegheny County journalists evaluate coverage decisions and the public understand the potential impact of their vote in municipal races ahead of the registration deadline for 2025 primaries. Student journalists will help create a political asset map and reporting to complement the data.
WITF (Pennsylvania) will improve audio quality for its “mobile listening lab” and create a print product on election administration and security for distribution at community gathering places, informed by a virtual forum on the same theme.
Racine County Eye (Wisconsin) and the Racine Monitor will partner around two events for the southeastern Wisconsin county’s residents: an educational event on local election processes and a facilitated event on local issues on the ballot, including small group discussion.
In additional states (Alabama, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas and Virginia):
AL. com* (Alabama) will record questions and conversations among residents in the state’s new congressional District 2, with questions to be played and asked of candidates during a live debate. The debate and conversations will be promoted to voters who live in this district that a federal court redrew after ruling a previous map most likely violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Cedar Rapids Gazette (Iowa) will return to printing its voter guide (currently digital) and distribute copies in community gathering places, including libraries and senior living centers.
The Beacon (Kansas) will host two listening sessions in Wichita, prior to the November election, so Beacon journalists and those in the Wichita Journalism Collaborative can hear the election-related questions, concerns, and needs of community members.
CivicLex (Kentucky) will expand its LexVote Ice Cream Social Forums, hosting the first school board-focused version of the facilitated event series between candidates and community members, and expand print voter guide coverage of school board races.
Verite News (Louisiana) will create two print products: a postcard promoting its digital democracy and voter guide that people can bring to the polls; and a booklet covering additional information from the same guide. Both will be distributed at community gathering places and at public office hours held by the nonprofit news site’s staff.
MPR News (Minnesota) will expand staff presence and multimedia coverage at events in Fergus Falls and Duluth for “Talking Sense,” a collaboration with Braver Angels to “help Minnesotans have hard conversations, better.”
The Beacon (Missouri) will expand coverage for and around the Kansas City Media Collective’s shared voter guide, which will be printed in English and Spanish and distributed by local outlets and community organizations including the League of Women Voters.
Granite State News Collaborative (New Hampshire) will print and distribute fliers promoting a digital voter guide created by student and young professional journalists in partner news organizations. Distribution will include in-person visits to local classrooms and universities, allowing an opportunity for further discussion about what matters to young New Hampshire residents.
Forum Communications* and its news sites (North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota) will enhance the promotion of an interactive voter guide tool made in collaboration with the League of Women Voters. The tool will include a feature for printing information to bring to the polls.
The Austin Common (Texas) will host a listening session with St. Edward’s University students to inform coverage and create TikTok videos, in partnership with students, about the upcoming mayoral election. They will also work with students to distribute printed resources around any later runoff elections.
The Virginian-Pilot* (Virginia) will distribute postcards by mail and fliers at events and community gathering places, each promoting a digital voter guide that includes free election content. Distribution will include working with community groups to share the resources.
* = Awards made from API’s own funds.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN PRESS INSTITUTE
The American Press Institute supports local and community-based media through research, programs and products that foster healthy, responsive and resilient news organizations. API envisions an inclusive democracy and society, where communities have the news and information they need to make decisions and thrive. API is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization affiliated with the News/Media Alliance.
