NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2014
Oklahoma Watch, a nonprofit journalism organization, will step up its efforts to engage the public and diversify its sources of financial support thanks to a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
The two-year, $75,000 grant will allow Oklahoma Watch to expand its outreach through sponsored public events and videos, data presentations and more structured partnerships with media outlets and other organizations.
“We’ve had tremendous success with our journalism and our ability to connect with many people in Oklahoma over the past year,” said David Fritze, executive editor of Oklahoma Watch. “None of this would have been possible without the commitment of our current funders.
“We now want to broaden our support and more deeply engage our audience, while continuing to produce high-quality journalism.”
“This investment is intended to help organizations that have shown promise develop new innovations, while adding to the momentum they have already built towards further growth and sustainability,” said Michael Maness, Knight Foundation vice president of journalism and media innovation.
Oklahoma Watch’s principal funders are the Ethics & Excellence in Journalism Foundation, based in Oklahoma City, and the George Kaiser Family Foundation, based in Tulsa.
Support from Knight Foundation is part of its Local Media Initiative that aims to help nonprofit news organizations establish long-term sustainability. The initiative comprises various other investments in the space, including $5 million in grants to over 25 local online news organizations that have demonstrated potential for growth and the INNovation Fund, which promotes newsroom innovation.
About Oklahoma Watch
Oklahoma Watch is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt organization that produces in-depth and investigative content and hosts community forums on important public-policy issues facing the state. Established in 2010, Oklahoma Watch features its stories, videos, data and other journalism at www.oklahomawatch.org, and distributes content to dozens of print, digital and broadcast news outlets around Oklahoma.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.
Contacts
* David Fritze, Executive Editor, Oklahoma Watch: (405) 325-3529, dfritze@oklahomwatch.org
* Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, Knight Foundation, (305) 908-2677, media@knightfoundation.org
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