April 18, 2010

Foundations Move to Fill Reporting Gap Left by Shrinking Newsrooms

Foundations Step In to Fill a Reporting Gap Created by Shrinking Newsrooms 1

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The California Endowment is supporting new efforts to produce news reports on health care.

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close Foundations Step In to Fill a Reporting Gap Created by Shrinking Newsrooms 1

iStock

The California Endowment is supporting new efforts to produce news reports on health care.

By Suzanne Perry

As daily newspapers across the country continue to retrench, a growing number of foundations are stepping in to fill what they see as a void in public-interest reporting. One example: the California Endowment, which in recent months awarded grants to two start-up news operations to help keep state residents informed about policies that affect their health.

The foundation started making journalism grants in 2004, when it created a fellowship program at the University of Southern