In this moment of grief and division within our country, it’s urgent that we reflect on the core values that make us Americans, and that we must maintain and strengthen in times of crisis. Philanthropy plays a critical role in maintaining our First Amendment freedoms by supporting institutions and independent voices that strengthen a culture of free, democratic discourse.
Media Impact Funders is inviting participants in The Pittsburgh Foundation’s recent First Amendment conferences—The National Conference on the First Amendment: Bedrock of American Freedoms, held in October at Duquesne University, and the First Amendment for the Twenty-First Century conference held in June—to share their thoughts with MIF’s Journalism Funders Network on threats and opportunities to promote a First Amendment culture.
We’ll hear from:
- Maxwell King, President and CEO of The Pittsburgh Foundation, the driving force behind the “1A” conferences. Maxwell King's four-decade career includes the presidencies of two of the country’s largest philanthropies—The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowments—and the editorship of The Philadelphia Inquirer, one of the nation’s most influential daily newspapers.
- Jenni Monet, an award-winning journalist who writes about Indigenous rights and injustice for outlets such as the Center for Investigative Reporting, PBS NewsHour and Al Jazeera. She will share her view of First Amendment freedom as a reporter who chronicled the Dakota Access Pipeline resistance movement at Standing Rock, and who is currently investigating the extreme rate at which Native American women, girls and transgender people experience violence, sexual assault and murder in the United States.
- Sam Gill, Vice President for Communities and Impact at the Knight Foundation, will discuss national survey research into public opinion on the First Amendment and issues relating to freedom of expression.
- Jeffrey Rosen, President & CEO of the National Constitution Center, will discuss ways journalism, media and civic education around constitutional issues can help push back against the forces currently dividing our nation.
Hosted on Zoom Video Conferencing. Register for details.