Journalism & Media Grant Guidelines

Overview

The Journalism and Media program seeks to promote and amplify just and inclusive news and narratives, based on the belief that accurate and compelling media plays an important role in informing, engaging, and activating individuals and groups to take part in democratic practices and processes.

To build and strengthen organizations creating and disseminating just, accurate, and inclusive news and narratives, the program supports work in three areas:

Professional Nonprofit Reporting
Nonfiction Multimedia Storytelling
Participatory Civic Media

In each of the three areas, the program pursues the following objectives:

Build strong, independent, and sustainable organizations and networks that anchor a resilient and independent media ecosystem designed to meet the needs of a democratic society.
Address barriers that limit the creation of, access to, or participation in media activities, including the legal, safety, digital security, and technological challenges facing organizations and individuals.
Promote learning, leadership, innovation, and field-building opportunities that explore timely and emerging issues related to production, dissemination, and engagement with journalism and media.

Our Journalism and Media program supports national and international nonprofit institutions with broad reach and influence.

What We Fund

Professional Nonprofit Reporting

We fund the following types of organizations:

National and international nonprofit journalism organizations that pursue explanatory, investigative, and/or international reporting.
National and international organizations that work to protect press freedom and address the safety and security challenges facing journalists.
Organizations and activities that support the infrastructure for and contribute to learning and innovation in the field of nonprofit journalism.

Nonfiction Multimedia Storytelling

We fund the following types of organizations:

National and regional organizations that fund, produce, and/or disseminate artfully crafted nonfiction storytelling projects on contemporary social issues for broadcast, web, and mobile.
National and regional organizations that provide grants, fellowships, training, mentoring, and support to increase the talent pipeline for the field of nonfiction multimedia storytelling.
Organizations and activities that support the infrastructure for the nonfiction multimedia sector and contribute to learning and innovation in the field of nonfiction multimedia storytelling.

Participatory Civic Media

We fund the following types of organizations:

National organizations that mobilize and support grassroots communities to use civic media and narrative change strategies to express and organize themselves for social change.
National organizations that provide civic media-related training and leadership development opportunities to build civic power in grassroots communities.
Organizations and activities that support the infrastructure for and contribute to learning and innovation in the field of civic media.

Documentary Film

The Journalism and Media Program continues our deep legacy of supporting thought-provoking social issue documentary films through support of national and regional organizations that serve emerging to experienced nonfiction multimedia storytellers. This reflects our understanding of the important role of organizations and institutions for the independent documentary ecosystem.

These organizations support documentary films, filmmakers, and nonfiction media producers through open calls, fellowships, labs, and networks. This is in place of MacArthur’s previous support directly to film projects.

From the 1980s through 2016, the Journalism and Media program funded more than 300 documentary projects with direct grants: a cumulative investment of $50 million. View a list of documentary film projects supported by MacArthur.

We encourage filmmakers and film teams seeking support to explore the funding opportunities offered by our partner organizations. These organizations deploy MacArthur resources in a way that allows many more filmmakers, artists, and journalists to find the support they need to tell stories that inform, engage, uplift social movements, and compel viewers to make changes in themselves or their communities.

Current Partners: