The purpose of the Detroit Journalism Engagement Fund was to increase the quality, outcomes and reach of journalism in our region, with an emphasis on engagement, innovation and the equitable recovery of Detroit. The Fund, through its grantmaking program, sought to advance quality journalism while reflecting the perspectives of diverse constituencies.

The Detroit Journalism Engagement Fund was launched in March 2017 as a partnership between the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

The Fund began as part of a larger strategy by the Knight Foundation to expand local reporting in Detroit and southeast Michigan. It also expanded on the Ford Foundation’s strategy to more effectively involve community residents in telling the story of Detroit’s future.

The Detroit Journalism Engagement Fund sought to strengthen local coverage by supporting a mix of different projects and approaches designed to help journalists engage community residents in the reporting process. The Fund sought to promote the digital transformation of local news organizations by supporting journalism innovation and new digital tools.