Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund invests in Resolve Philly’s Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative

Knight-Lenfest Fund to support the launch of the new citywide journalism initiative.

October 24, 2023

The Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund today announced a $211,500 investment in Resolve Philly to support the launch of the Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative, a new citywide journalism initiative building upon the success of Broke in Philly. 

With this funding, Resolve Philly will provide collaborative newsroom partners with editorial leadership and shared resources, including community engagement, data journalism, social media, professional and peer development support, and direct monetary support via a collaborative news project funding pot. 

Since 2019, the Knight-Lenfest Fund, a joint venture of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, has supported Resolve Philly to run Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on economic mobility and solutions reporting on poverty which brought together 29 newsrooms across Philadelphia. 

Broke in Philly marked its five-year anniversary with a retrospective report and short film.The Lenfest Institute and Knight Foundation have supported Resolve and Broke in Philly since their founding, including a predecessor, collaborative journalism project, focused on incarceration and returning citizens. 

The Knight- Lenfest Fund is now supporting Resolve as it evolves and transitions Broke in Philly to the Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative where its focus will widen beyond economic mobility and address the many underreported issues affecting the daily lives of Philadelphians. Examples might include such topics or agencies as urban design, education systems, technology integration, and climate challenges.

This funding commitment is the latest grant from the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund, now in its fifth year.

“Through years of intentional relationship building and experimentation, Resolve’s editorial and community engagement teams have earned trust with newsrooms, grassroots organizations, and residents,” said Diana Lu, Director of the Knight-Lenfest Fund. “They model how journalism contributes to a larger, cross-sector approach to informed and engaged communities—as well as how we can center joy and marginalized voices while innovating ways to empower Philadelphians navigating complex city systems. The Fund is proud to continue to support this unique collaborative that has already been replicated by dozens of newsrooms.” 

Through this new grant, the Fund will support Resolve Philly to continue its work in building collaborative, community-responsive and solutions reporting throughout the Philadelphia media ecosystem. 

“We’re incredibly grateful for the funding from Knight-Lenfest, which will support PJC in charting the course toward the future of local news,” said Eugene Sonn, senior director of collaborations at Resolve Philly. “By rooting our work in collaboration, participatory and community-responsive journalism, and holding our steadfast commitment to bridging the information divide, we know we’re better able to serve communities.”

Those interested in learning more or keeping up with the latest community-driven news should visit PJC’s website and sign up for the newsletter.

About The Knight-Lenfest Fund

With a focus on sustainability and equity, The Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund is designed to strengthen local journalism at scale, by supporting journalistic excellence and serving the information needs of communities. The Knight-Lenfest Fund collaborates with news organizations, leaders and communities to grow capacity and meet journalism’s technology, business, and audience realities of the future. It believes that journalism is at its best when it is of service. The Knight-Lenfest Fund is a joint venture of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism.

About Resolve Philly

Resolve Philly is a groundbreaking nonprofit newsroom that demonstrates how news can better serve communities when rooted in solutions and community voices. Resolve’s unwavering commitment to participatory, community-responsive, and collaborative journalism, along with its mission to bridge the information divide, distinguishes the nonprofit from conventional newsrooms. The organization is committed to maximizing access to news and information for all, providing comprehensive coverage of the most critical issues impacting communities through collaborative reporting, and understanding the information needs of communities across Philadelphia in order to produce relevant and impactful stories. Learn more about our work by visiting resolvephilly.org.