Funding Health JournalismJune 14, 2013

Funding Health Journalism

Why we fund health journalism

Colorado’s media landscape

Our approach

Lessons learned, challenges

we will produce our measurable results.

By investing in our three community outcomes...

Journalism matters…

Why we fund health journalism

“Foundations are making more media and journalism grants not for the sake of media alone, but because they are finding they need a healthy news ecosystem in order to achieve their strategic goals.”

Why we fund health journalism

Our goal

To increase the quality and quantity of health and health policy information in Colorado

Colorado’s media landscape• Rocky Mountain News closed

in February 2009• Colorado Public News and I-

News were started by former Rocky reporters

• Social media (90 percent of Denver Post reporters are on Twitter)

• Focus on greater community engagement

• Breaking down of silos• Cutbacks at the Denver Post

and other traditional media outlets

Our approach• Started slowly, partnering with a well-known and

respected public radio station• Responded to opportunities as they arose• Through our early grants, better understand the

evolving media environment

What we fund in health journalism • Public radio station to hire a full-time health reporter (3-year,

$285,000)• PBS NewsHour to increase capacity for health reporting (1-

year, $100,000)• Education news service to dedicate resources to covering

health issues in the school setting (3-year, $450,000) • A digital media project of the University of Colorado focused

on health issues (3-year, $322,000)• An emerging nonprofit news organization to increase its

focus on health issues (3-year, $425,000)• A community economic development publication to highlight

community health and healthy living topics (1-year, $30,000)

What we’ve learned…• Important to be clear about roles of program and

communication staff• No clear path to financial sustainability

– Some have potential revenue streams (memberships/subscriptions, ads)

– Other foundation grants• Media landscape is evolving so rapidly • Enterprises started by former journalists that don’t

necessarily have business experience• Need a better way to evaluate impact

Amy Latham

Portfolio Director, Health Coverage

Colorado Health Foundation

alatham@coloradohealth.org

303.953.3670