ASNE awarded Knight grant, begins endowment campaign

• By: ASNE staff
• On: 03/27/2007 16:59:00
• In: ASNE business

WASHINGTON -- ASNE has received a $3.4 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and launched a campaign to endow its work on the First Amendment and to assist editors in leading change in the evolving business of journalism.

The largest portion of Knight Foundation's grant, which will underwrite the Knight First Amendment Fund, is a $2.5 million challenge grant that requires a three-to-two match by ASNE. The Knight fund will help permanently endow ASNE's leadership of Sunshine Week and other efforts in support and defense of the First Amendment. In addition to the challenge grant, Knight is making direct grants of $900,000 in operational funds - a $300,000 bridge grant for Sunshine Week and $600,000 for assistance in the fund-raising campaign.

Sunshine Week, a national campaign to report how well citizens are able to use local, state and national open government laws, began under ASNE's coordination in 2005 with a Knight Foundation grant. Dozens of journalism and citizen organizations participate in the week, which is timed to celebrate the birthday of James Madison, the author of the U.S. Bill of Rights. In 2007, some 1,800 stories, columns, editorials or cartoons, 1,500 blogs and 1,000 televised public service announcements reached an estimated 50 million Americans.

The endowment campaign was announced today at ASNE's annual convention here by ASNE Foundation President Edward L. Seaton and ASNE President David A. Zeeck.

Seaton said, "If we meet this generous challenge grant, we will be able to transform ASNE into a 21st century organization that preserves the independent voice of America's directing editors on First Amendment issues, journalistic principles and craft development."

"This helps ASNE make Sunshine Week a permanent fixture on the calendar, ensuring that Americans everywhere will benefit from a greater appreciation of the First Amendment and open government," said Alberto Ibargüen, president of Knight Foundation.

"The Knight Foundation has been a generous and supportive friend of ASNE for many years," said Zeeck. "This grant supports precisely the work editors told us they wanted ASNE to concentrate on in a survey conducted last year. We and the companies that employ us now need to step up and meet the Knight challenge."

Seaton said ASNE has already launched its efforts to raise $3.75 million over four years. Members of both the Foundation and ASNE boards, as well as a group of former presidents, have made initial commitments.

Knight Foundation's commitment is particularly meaningful for ASNE, Seaton said, because John S. Knight, who served as the Society's president from 1944-46, led a worldwide effort to fight military censorship and was a lifelong strong voice on First Amendment issues. In addition, Lee Hills, longtime Knight Foundation chairman and ASNE's president in 1962-63, forcefully took on the Kennedy administration for its deceptions and attempts to manage news during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes journalism excellence worldwide and invests in the vitality of the U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. Since 1950 the foundation has granted nearly $300 million to advance journalism quality and the freedom of expression.

ASNE is the principal organization of the top editors at daily newspapers. Founded in 1922 as a nonprofit organization, ASNE focuses on professional development and journalism-related issues, including the First Amendment, diversity in newsroom staffing and coverage, journalism education, editorial innovation and credibilit