$10.5M Knight Foundation Grant Launches Knight Center for the Future of News at ASU’s Cronkite School

A $10.5 million grant is funding the launch of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s Knight Center for the Future of News.

The new initiative — funded by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and an additional $4 million investment from ASU — is designed to reimagine journalism in the U.S. and build a stronger, more trusted and financially sustainable news ecosystem.

ASU President Michael Crow believes the Knight Center is crucial for maintaining the integrity of journalism and driving it forward.

“ASU tackles society’s pressing challenges, and collaborating with Knight Foundation to advance a new era of exceptional journalism is imperative to the health of our democracy,” Crow said. “The Cronkite School has built a legacy of leadership and excellence in journalism, and the Knight Center for the Future of News will draw from that base to develop new approaches for the essential exchange of information that drives our world forward.”

The Knight Center aims to bring together creative minds from across the field to address such challenges as restoring trust and credibility in media, helping local and regional outlets develop innovative business models and developing new ways of storytelling and news-gathering.

“Local news is rapidly evolving, with innovative business models emerging across the country,” said Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, president and CEO of Knight Foundation. “ASU and the Cronkite School have long been leaders in research and collaboration in this space, making them an ideal partner to help shape the future of the industry and to host this hub for information, connection and shared insight.”

The grant is the single largest donation in the Cronkite School’s history and is part of ASU’s Changing Futures campaign, managed by the ASU Foundation for a New American University. 

The Knight Center will build on Cronkite’s nationally recognized “teaching hospital” model, ASU’s interdisciplinary research centers and industry partners.

The Knight Center for the Future of News will feature three dedicated labs and a central innovation hub:

• Journalism, Community and Democracy Lab — addressing declining public trust in news and developing strategies to rebuild credibility.
• Sustainability Lab — exploring revenue models to ensure the long-term financial viability of news organizations.
• Innovation in Reporting and Storytelling Lab — experimenting with emerging storytelling and information-gathering tools, including artificial intelligence, to engage new, younger and broader audiences.
• The Information Hub — connecting thought leaders, gathering insights and disseminating best practices across the industry. 

Cronkite School Dean Battinto Batts said the Knight Center for the Future of News will play a key role in accelerating the needed innovation and transformation during a transitional time in journalism.

“As just one example, we’re seeing single-person operations launching their own podcasts, newsletters or blogs, where they’re building their own audience,” Batts said. “I’d say that’s healthy for journalism and a more democratized version of journalism because we have many more voices.”

Julia Wallace, the Frank Russell Chair in the Business of Journalism, will serve as the Knight Center’s launch director.

“There’s so much out there about what’s broken in the media,” Wallace said. “What we’d like to do is focus on what’s right, what’s working and how can we make innovation happen even faster. That’s really our mission.”

Wallace said a national search for an executive director will begin shortly and that the Knight Center for the Future of News will be up and running on July 1. It will be located in the Arizona Center in downtown Phoenix.

For more behind this Frontdoor, visit cronkite.asu.edu/knightcenter.