First Look Media, the news organization created by Pierre Omidyar, today announced that it will provide grants totaling up to $550,000 to three organizations at the forefront of integrating freedom of the press with technology. The funding includes:
– A grant of up to $350,000 to Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) over two years to help the new organization further strengthen its operations. FPF started as a crowdsourcing site for journalism outlets, but now also provides newsroom software that allows people to submit anonymous whistleblower tips electronically. FPF is recognized as an important voice in supporting and defending public-interest journalism, particularly national security reporting. Team members from First Look’s The Intercept, including Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras and Micah Lee, are on the board of the organization.
– A $100,000 grant to Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) for a media technology fellow to provide strategic insights around technology issues related to press freedom. As one of the country’s premier non-profits devoted to the legal rights of journalists, Reporters Committee has taken the lead in supporting First Amendment and press rights cases, as well as Freedom of Information Act efforts. Continue>>>
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