Adam Waxman Reflects on Building Philanthropy-funded Journalism
Posting: Monday, September 12, 2022
Adam Waxman is departing from McClatchy to take on a new role at The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, based in Raleigh. Waxman was McClatchy’s Regional Journalism Development Director for the past two years.
Waxman has been integral in the management of several philanthropy projects for local newsrooms such as The News & Observer, The Island Packet, The Macon Telegraph and others.
We reached out to Waxman to get his perspective on the importance of philanthropy-funded news, what the future looks like for these endeavors and his time working for McClatchy.
Q. What are some important things you’ve learned during your time at N&O?
Good fundraising is still good fundraising. The principles of cultivation, stewardship, etc., don't really change. One of the biggest things I learned is there's often a big disconnect between the timeframe of daily journalism (Hey, we're running this story next week, could we get some funding for it?) and the timeframe of philanthropy, where it can take 12-18 months (or longer!) to secure a gift.
It's still a relatively new field and many funders (of all kinds) have concerns and questions about funding local news. Some really get it and others require education to understand why it's important and how they can make an impact through journalism philanthropy.
Q. How important would you say philanthropy-funded news is to local journalism?
That depends on the local space and the publication. In a place where the only serious news organizations are nonprofit, it's incredibly important. At McClatchy, philanthropy allowed us to do more and go deeper, making our work stronger and more in-depth. In North Carolina, we raised $100,000 this year for investigative reporting, for example, and the results speak for themselves.
That said, if a news organization isn't interested in philanthropy, it's not important at all. It takes vision on the part of the news organization to see what these partnerships can do.
Q. Where do you see the current state of philanthropy in news going in the future?
It's complicated. The field is growing, and there are a lot of different ways that funders can make investments in local news. There are nonprofit news outlets essentially functioning as daily news outlets. There are more advocacy or niche-focused outlets, both for-profit or nonprofit. There are daily newsrooms that are for-profit like McClatchy or Cox. I think you're going to see more philanthropic investment driven by results and outcomes. Philanthropists are going to have a clear picture of outcomes they want and that will start to drive things.
Q: Why should funders care about supporting local news?
I don't find the civic duty argument particularly compelling, nor an appeal to the heyday of a legacy newsroom. The reality is if a funder cares about any issue - climate change, education, poverty, whatever - having more evidence-based reporting on that topic in their local community will help accomplish their goals in those areas. That's why they should do it.
Q. What have you learned in your current role that you would tell your predecessor, and what lessons are you taking forward for yourself in your new role?
Doing this work requires patience, vision, and planning. It's critical to work with local news leaders (editors and journalists) who understand why philanthropy matters and can clearly articulate how they would use these partnerships to serve readers.
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Media Contact: Rusty Coats, Executive Director | rusty@jfp-local.org | (813) 277-8959
