Organization Transformation
Newsroom Transformation Pilot Program
Program Overview
The Maynard Institute’s Newsroom Transformation Pilot Program is a 1-year initiative made possible through a generous grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
Learn to expand their cultural capacity to foster cross-cultural collaboration and build organizations where diversity and belonging can thrive—enabling them to better serve a wide spectrum of news organizations and communities.
Why this Matters
Journalism infrastructure organizations are crucial in supporting newsrooms, yet many lack the ability to fully understand and engage with different cultures.
To truly support the next generation of journalism, they must be equipped to serve an increasingly diverse ecosystem of news organizations and publishers.
The Maynard Institute is here to help. For nearly 50 years, we’ve led the fight for belonging in journalism.
We are uniquely suited to offer this pilot program, which builds on that legacy by helping infrastructure organizations to:
- Expand their understanding of bias and Fault Lines® blind spots, such as class, gender, geography, and race
- Develop strategies to better serve diverse news publishers and newsrooms
- Strengthen internal culture with inclusive decision-making
- improve hiring and retention practices for long-term success
What the Program Provides
Each participating organization will receive:
- 1 year of structured coaching and training tailored to their specific needs
- Guidance on integrating DEIB best practices into leadership and operational structures
- Tools, frameworks, and benchmarks to assess and track progress
- Support in shaping a more inclusive, welcoming workplace
By the end of the pilot, a deepened understanding of how DEIB aligns with the organization’s mission will emerge. Organizations will also have the tools and systems in place to keep evolving in their awareness and support of different cultures.
Journalism’s future depends on institutions that act to prioritize belonging. Our pilot program helps make that a reality.
Program Details
We are seeking news outlets deeply interested in and open to centering DEIB and anti-racism in their approach, yet lacking the knowledge and support for how to do so. Ideally, a participating news organization is large enough that it has the capacity to dedicate resources to change.
In addition, we believe that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and other marginalized individuals suffer more in organizations at a nascent stage in their DEIB journey – both on staff and as readers /listeners/viewers and constituents.
The commitment to the aforementioned principles is key. We’ll work with you on the “how” and help you along the way.
Further application criteria is in development.
The time commitment will vary depending on the role a staff member plays in the program. Participants attending sessions and completing pre-work should anticipate spending 10-15 hours in total.
The commitment for people who attend sessions and join the working groups will be 10-15 hours + an additional 10 hours in those working groups, for a total of 20-25 hours.
Participants who attend sessions and join the DEIB working groups as co-chairs will be 10-15 hours + an additional 30-35 hours chairing those working groups, for a total of 40-50 hours.
For more active participants (any DEI Committee members or senior staff), we anticipate 40-70 hours in total due to their role in key stages of the program such as:
- Engagement in diagnosis
- Making a DEI road map
- Attending sessions
- Joining planning meeting with consultant
- Specialists and coaches
- Providing feedback
Who is funding this program?
The Ford Foundation and John S. and James L. Knight foundation have awarded generous grants totaling $2.9 million which allow us to expand our signature Fault Lines® training methodology, create new programming, and deepen our commitment to building organizational cultures that truly reflect the diversity of our communities.
What is the general time commitment?
Participating news organizations should plan on staff commitments during the length of the five-month program. The amount of time allotted may increase depending on the role and level of participation of each staff member. A rough guideline is as follows:
Pre-Training Assessment (4-6 hours):
- Pre-training activities and assignments, including but not limited to individual interviews, focus groups, etc., to learn about the newsroom culture and develop goals for the training.
Monthly Training Commitment (4-8 hours for everyone):
- Training (2-4 hours for all participants)
- Post-Training Work (2-4 hours for assignments and team meetings)
Additional Hours of Engagement (2-6 hours):
- For Embed Leads and Leadership Teams (includes all staff categories)
- Time allocation contingent on newsroom goals and availability
*The newsroom will have the latitude to structure their assignments and apply the principles and frameworks learned from the training.
Consultation Meetings with Team Members (4 hours):
- Consultation sessions for progress reports, coaching, and knowledge sharing
Total time commitment (14-20 hours):
- Up to 20 hours+ per month
- Time commitments will vary for participants based on their roles
- Newsroom may decide to use existing DEI-related committees, working groups, and initiatives to build on and expand on what they are learning in the Embed training
Is previous participation in the Knight Foundation – Lenfest Table Stakes program required?
Previous participation is not required to apply but one of the two newsrooms selected must be alumni of the Table Stakes Local News Transformation Program.
Is the program tuition-free?
The selected news outlets will pay a partial fee for the consulting services. The amount will be based, in part, on the operational budget of the selected organization.
Which newsroom staff members can participate in the program?
More details to be available soon.
Is the program open to news organizations globally?
All U.S.-based news organizations are eligible to apply.
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