Ford Foundation CFE Journalism Program Evaluation

In late 2021, Impact Architects partnered with the Ford Foundation to conduct a portfolio level evaluation of the Creativity and Free Expression's (CFE) Journalism Program, one of three program areas alongside Arts and Culture and JustFilms. At the midpoint of the Program’s 10-year strategy, the purpose of this evaluation is to articulate the CFE Journalism Program’s strategy as it has been implemented thus far, identify progress made toward its near and medium term goals, and generate insights and considerations to inform the next five years of the Program’s strategy.

From 2016 through 2021, Ford Foundation’s CFE Journalism Program has invested $57.5 million in support of 110 organizations, many of which are led by and serving women, people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ communities, and those in underserved rural communities — the priority communities for the CFE Journalism Program's strategy. (This analysis does not include grants made to journalism organizations by other Ford program areas.)

The CFE Journalism Program's current strategy is situated in a context wherein some communities have historically been ignored by the mainstream media, including the populations identified above. In addition, the news outlets that serve those communities have largely not had access to philanthropic support or resources. A foundational element of this context is evident in the 1968 Kerner Commission report, which identified an array of "separate and unequal" social services available to U.S. residents as a core reason for the urban uprisings of the late 1960s. Among the report's recommendations regarding journalism were the need to expand coverage of Black communities by developing beats focused on "racial affairs," integrate activities of Black communities into general news coverage, and recruit more Black reporters into journalism. While the report was specifically about Black communities, there are clear implications for other population groups.

Journalism — who does it and who it serves — is a site of power. A misuse of this power can create and deepen social divides, further marginalize and stigmatize communities, and undermine democracy, as evidenced by the Kerner Commission 50 years ago and the effects of mis- and disinformation in contemporary America. The responsible and equitable use of this power is an essential component of a functional and resilient democracy.

In addition to persistent divisions of service, the industry has seen continuous upheaval over the past 20 years that has only accelerated during the past five. The contextual trends include:

• The failure of the commercial advertising model for journalism that originated with digital publishing, grew steadily worse over time, and was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic;

• A national racial justice reckoning that has implications for the journalism industry;

• An increasing lack of trust among U.S. residents in news and media, at least in part a result of the proliferation of information and disinformation in digital spaces; and

• The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the journalism industry, which accelerated the trend of declining advertising revenue and has caused greater instability in the industry.

This evaluation finds evidence that Ford’s support has resulted in a growing and strengthened equitable journalism sector that includes both more diversity in leadership in the journalism space and more content for and by people from the aforementioned priority communities. Furthermore, Ford’s strategy has resulted in additional resources for its own grantees and other journalism organizations that center equity, both through direct activities and the halo effect of the Ford Foundation’s widely respected name.