Knight Foundation funds new ASU center to tackle challenges in journalism

Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication is launching the Knight Center for the Future of News, supported by a $10.5 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and an additional $4 million investment from ASU.

The center will serve as a national hub focused on addressing critical challenges facing journalism, including rebuilding public trust, supporting local media sustainability and advancing new storytelling techniques. The initiative is the largest single donation in the Cronkite School’s history and is part of the university’s Changing Futures campaign.

ASU President Michael Crow described the center as essential to journalism’s role in supporting democracy.

“Collaborating with Knight Foundation to advance a new era of exceptional journalism is imperative,” Crow said.

Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, Knight Foundation president and CEO, noted the changing local news landscape and said ASU’s leadership in journalism research and collaboration makes it a suitable host for the initiative.

“Local news is rapidly evolving, with innovative business models emerging across the country,” said Wadsworth. “ASU and the Cronkite School have long been leaders in research and collaboration in this space, making them an ideal partner to help shape the future of the industry and to host this hub for information, connection and shared insight.”

The Knight Center will include three labs and an innovation hub:

• The Journalism, Community and Democracy Lab will develop strategies to restore credibility in news.
• The Sustainability Lab will explore revenue models for long-term financial viability of media organizations.
• The Innovation in Reporting and Storytelling Lab will test new tools, including artificial intelligence, to reach wider audiences.
• The Information Hub will facilitate industry collaboration and share best practices.

The center will be located at the Arizona Center in downtown Phoenix and will open on July 1. Julia Wallace, the Frank Russell Chair in the Business of Journalism, will serve as the launch director. A national search for a permanent executive director is planned.

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Cronkite School Dean Battinto Batts emphasized the importance of the center in supporting evolving forms of journalism, including individual creators building their own audiences.

The Knight Foundation has supported the Cronkite School for over 30 years. 

“Knight Foundation’s transformational commitment to establish the Knight Center for the Future of News is a testament to their belief in the fundamental role journalism plays in ensuring engaged communities and a vibrant democracy,” said Lindsay Walker, an executive director of development at the ASU Foundation. “Knight has demonstrated unwavering support of the Cronkite School for more than three decades. Their latest gift will amplify the impact and reach of top-tier journalism education and training at a pivotal moment in time for the nation’s media landscape.”