TOLEDO, Ohio — The Diversity Pledge Institute (DPI) is scaling its programs to foster more equitable hiring practices, identify the next generation of journalism’s C-suite executives and improve the retention rates and advancement of journalists and product leaders from diverse backgrounds, thanks to a three-year, $250,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
Since 2021, DPI has worked to revolutionize the journalism workforce by identifying and preparing vetted, diverse candidates for potential employers and supporting the candidates’ career growth.
“We know that many of the newsrooms across America do not have staff that represents the communities they are meant to serve,” said Natalia Gonzalez, Knight Foundation’s Associate of Journalism. “That’s why we are thrilled to support the work of The Diversity Pledge Institute, which is training and supporting a highly qualified group of diverse news professionals to fill this need.”
DPI is investing in a scalable model for establishing a new editorial pipeline for talent and leadership capable of reaching new and underserved audiences. Ultimately, the aim is for these efforts to diversify and increase revenue streams through higher retention rates and more inclusive work environments.
“We’re excited to become a Knight Foundation grantee at such a critical stage in our development,” said Larry Graham, founder and CEO of The Diversity Pledge Institute. “One of our main goals is to help journalists navigate the industry in a way that allows them to grow and thrive. This level of support will be transformative and allow us to do that even faster.”
The grant will also support DPI as we launch our next iteration of the Learning Circles program, which teaches journalists critical workplace skills such as navigating office politics, managing up, salary negotiation, leadership skills, and more.
The small group learning sessions, led by industry veterans, emphasize peer-to-peer training with comprehensive support for the journalists as they continue their careers.
“At such a critical moment when media companies are determined to reestablish trust with their audiences, this grant from Knight Foundation will help us build trust within newsrooms,” Graham said. “You can’t have one without the other.”
About Knight Foundation
We are social investors who support democracy by funding free expression and journalism, arts and culture in the community, research in areas of media and democracy, and in the success of American cities and towns where the Knight brothers once published newspapers. Learn more at kf.org and follow @knightfdn on social media.
About The Diversity Pledge Institute
The Diversity Pledge Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to research, analysis and education related to diversity in journalism. Our mission is to improve retention rates, create more inclusive work environments, and support journalists’ career growth.