Giving Compass' Take:

• Elise Goldstein lists five practices funders can employ in their giving to promote diversity and equity in local journalism.

• Why is equity in local journalism essential in educating people about injustices in our society? What are you doing to fund equity in local journalism today?

• Read about why donors should engage in practices for equity in journalism.

Establishing diverse and equitable newsrooms is essential to building a sustainable future for local journalism. It’s also critical that our industry recognizes the inequities in the way journalism is funded. The past few months have served as a reminder that there is an immense amount of work to be done to reach equitable solutions within news organizations throughout the United States.

On July 16, the News Philanthropy Network held an open discussion on race and equity in regards to news fundraising and philanthropy.

Here are five main takeaways:

1. Recognize inequities and historic failings

News organizations and funders must engage in honest conversations about how their work has impacted marginalized communities. It is time to consider how journalism may have harmed communities of color in the past and the role that philanthropy played in perpetuating these systems.

2. Empower leaders and grow networks

Organizations must proactively diversify and empower the voices of those throughout their organizations, but especially at the leadership level. We must consider diverse perspectives and acknowledge who holds the power while having meaningful conversations and increasing access to capital.

3. Funders can drive change

Requiring demographic data about the diversity of the board, leadership, staff, and members of an organization as part of the funding process can be a catalyst for change for a grantee.

4. Be an ally

Organizations and individuals often want to be part of the solution, but in many cases they need direction. It shouldn’t always fall to people of color to initiate these discussions.

5. The time to start is now

Philanthropy and fundraising help enable this critical work, and that can be a message that potentially resonates with funders — especially local funders who are committed to supporting the recovery in their community.

Read the full article about equity in local journalism by Elise Goldstein at The Lenfest Institute.