Supporting Underserved Audiences Amid Anti-DEI Efforts

As powerful corporate and political leaders push a “colorblind meritocracy,” journalism funders must resist efforts to erase discussions of race and equity. Colorblindness upholds the myth of equal access to the American Dream while ignoring well-documented racial disparities in health, income, education, and work that merit alone can’t overcome. 

Journalism has a responsibility to tell the truth about these disparities because that’s how they will be addressed. Efforts to suppress these conversations simply reinforce inequity. Funders can keep the country moving forward by supporting journalism that investigates systemic disparities and reporting that reflects diverse lived experiences.

It’s challenging to go against the grain when the political climate changes. But American philanthropy is uniquely positioned to keep nudging the country toward the North Star of becoming a strong, resilient multicultural democracy. Communities looking at the American Dream from the margins need philanthropy’s commitment now more than ever.

Organizations like The Pivot Fund provide essential resources, mentorship, and funding to newsrooms that might otherwise be excluded. For funders who share our commitment to supporting news outlets that inform and engage underserved and historically marginalized communities, here are key strategies to employ:

1. Invest in Journalism that Investigates Systemic Disparities

Funders should prioritize newsrooms and journalists committed to uncovering the deep-rooted inequities shaping society.

• Funding priorities: Support journalism that examines racial inequities in education, health care, wealth, and criminal justice.
• Support community-centered outlets: Many small, independent newsrooms led by people from marginalized communities already do this work. These outlets should receive sustained support to continue their mission.

2. Provide Long-Term and Flexible Funding

Given the increasing backlash against race-conscious reporting, journalism funders must provide:

• Sustained funding that allows newsrooms to build capacity for truth-based reporting on race and disparities.
• Flexible grants that allow journalists to adapt to evolving challenges while maintaining their commitment to telling stories that reflect reality.

3. Frame Truth-Based Reporting on Race and Disparities as Essential to Democracy

Funders should position journalism that examines race and inequality as fundamental to democracy rather than a partisan or ideological issue.

• Support reporting that challenges the idea that race-neutral policies create equal outcomes.
• Fund coverage that contextualizes how movements for racial justice have driven broader societal progress.

4. Advocate for Equity in Funding and Partnerships

Funders must hold institutions accountable for their commitments to equity, even as political pressure to dismantle these efforts grows.

• Require grantees to demonstrate how they will incorporate journalism that reports on systemic disparities.
• Support training programs that teach journalists how to cover race and systemic inequities responsibly and accurately.

5. Counter the “Colorblind” Narrative with Data-Driven, Truth-Based Reporting

Journalism must challenge myths about meritocracy and race-neutral policies using evidence-based reporting. Funders can:

• Support reporting that uses data to highlight racial inequities.
• Partner with research organizations and universities to give journalists access to credible information that debunks race-blind narratives.

6. Protect Journalists and Newsrooms from Political Retaliation

Given the growing backlash against journalism that exposes racial disparities, funders should create safety nets for journalists and outlets that face political attacks.

• Provide emergency funding for newsrooms that lose support due to their commitment to truth-based reporting on race and disparities.
• Advocate for legal protections for journalists covering racial justice issues.

7. Leverage Public Education Campaigns

Funders should support public education efforts that reinforce the importance of journalism that reflects lived realities. This could include:

• Campaigns that challenge myths about colorblindness and meritocracy.
• Partnerships with schools, community organizations, and public media to provide educational resources on racial disparities and their historical roots.

8. Amplify the Voices of Marginalized Communities Through Reporting That Reflects Diverse Lived Experiences

Journalism funders should prioritize reporting that reflects diverse lived experiences, ensuring that coverage is grounded in the perspectives of those most impacted by systemic inequities. This approach moves race reporting beyond abstract policy debates and into the realities of everyday life.

Final Thoughts

A colorblind meritocracy is an aspirational ideal, but we won’t move in that direction without acknowledging the deep, race-based disparities that merit alone can’t overcome and taking steps to address them so all Americans have the opportunity to thrive. Journalism and journalism funders play an essential role.