How Knight Foundation helps indie news publishers implement scalable, sustainable business models

Knight Foundation is a Silver Sponsor of the 2025 Independent News Sustainability Summit. LION is featuring some Summit sponsors in Q&As to help members learn more about their work. Find out how to become a Summit sponsor.

Anyone interested in the future of local news has probably heard of Knight Foundation, a leading funder of journalism projects in the U.S. Over the years, Knight has invested in organizations, ideas, and products that help publishers create sustainable, tech-savvy, and audience-focused newsrooms. It was an anchor investor in a major pooled funding initiative, Press Forward, a national coalition of over 100 funders investing to strengthen local journalism across the United States. 

We’re thrilled to welcome Knight back as a sponsor of our Independent News Sustainability Summit. In 2024, we talked with Duc Luu, Knight’s director of sustainability initiatives for the journalism program, about the foundation’s core strategy and his take on the top trend in journalism philanthropy. You can read that Q&A here. This year, we got the chance to chat with Marisa Kwiatkowski, director for the journalism program.

Hayley: To kick us off, can you tell us more about what you do at Knight? When and why did you join the team?

Marisa: I joined Knight last year after two decades as a journalist. I’ve worked for local outlets in Michigan, South Carolina, and Indiana, as well as for USA TODAY’s national investigative team.

At Knight, I work across our journalism portfolio, with a focus on the First Amendment, legal support, journalists’ safety, and training. I also support efforts to strengthen news and information in 26 Knight communities — the cities and towns where the Knight brothers once published newspapers.

I want to do work that matters, and I want to do that work with people I like. Knight checks both of those boxes.

Hayley: Building on last year’s Q&A with Duc Luu, could you share a bit about Knight Foundation and how you support the independent news ecosystem? Have there been any big changes since 2024?

Marisa: LION members know there’s a lot more to publishing an article than reporting and writing it. Behind every local news piece are the backend operations that keep a newsroom running, from business functions and legal support to talent development and content management.

For small and independent publishers, accessing those services can be time-consuming and cost-prohibitive. That’s why we support shared services and organizations that make these tools more accessible.

Our focus remains on strengthening the ecosystem in ways that lead to scalable, sustainable business models.

It’s encouraging to see that our approach to funding news infrastructure is now embraced by other funders, including our Press Forward partners. As a former reporter, I love seeing local journalism becoming a greater priority for philanthropy in general.

Hayley: Duc mentioned last year that Knight’s “core strategy focuses on scaling the infrastructure for local news publishers that will sustain the entire local news ecosystem…” What are some of the key infrastructure components you focus on? And how does Knight help news organizations access these tools and services?

Marisa: Knight works to shore up the core of local journalism by focusing on what keeps newsrooms strong and independent. That starts with helping publishers find reliable ways to make money, whether through new revenue models, smarter business strategies, or by scaling ideas that already work in one community to others. 

It also means investing in people. Newsrooms depend on skilled, diverse, and creative teams, so Knight supports efforts to attract top talent, foster leadership, and provide meaningful training. 

As the journalism industry evolves, the foundation invests in tools that help newsrooms stay ahead. That means understanding how technologies like AI will shape the industry and how data storytelling can help reporters meet audiences where they are. 

Behind it all is a commitment to protecting journalists: defending their legal rights, supporting their safety, and ensuring they can report the news without fear.

Hayley: Philanthropy is navigating a moment where demands are growing, but resources are finite. How is Knight responding to this moment? What strategies or approaches from fellow funders or fundees are inspiring you right now?

Marisa: Philanthropic coalitions have grown in recent years, along with stronger communication between funders. Movements like Press Forward and Media Impact Funders, and more frequent conversation among philanthropic leaders and program directors are helping build momentum.

These collaborations are leading to more effective strategies and smarter resource allocation. It’s helping us pool efforts and connect the dots with our priorities. This will remain essential as journalism continues to face significant challenges.

Hayley: In recent years, philanthropy has embraced change and taken real steps to reduce barriers between itself and fundees by trying to foster reciprocity and build trusting, genuine relationships. Where do you see philanthropy making headway in these efforts? And what opportunities lie ahead?

Marisa: The field has made real progress, and there’s always room for more. Our grantees are our partners. These relationships help us understand what’s working, what’s not, and what they’re seeing on the ground.

It is a feedback loop that leads to stronger investments and more effective partnerships across our portfolio. While we provide funding, make connections, and bring people together, we equally depend on our partners for their insights and expertise. Knowledge-sharing between funders and grantees remains essential to the success of our investments in the field. We truly value the relationships we have with our partners.

Hayley: What are you hoping fundees will leave behind as we approach 2026?

Marisa: This goes back to the idea of partnership I touched on before. I understand why fundees try to tailor their pitches to what they think funders want, but, in my experience, the best pitches are those that focus on what the field needs and why it is urgent that it happen now. Those are the conversations I most look forward to. That being said, we’re also interested in hearing more about work being done on the demand side of local news. I think we can help further the field’s understanding of how people consume and share information, and how that landscape is shifting.

Hayley: Thanks so much, Marisa! See you soon in St. Louis.

Join us at the 2025 Independent News Sustainability Summit to meet fellow independent news leaders, supporters, and funders.