Centering communities: Tracie Powell on equity, inclusivity and philanthropy

Local News Matters

Tracie Powell, the engaging and provocative founder and CEO of the Pivot Fund, shares her unique perspective on the intersection of journalism, philanthropy, and racial equity. Drawing from her rich experiences spanning j-school, advertising and circulation, reporting, law school, and her current role in philanthropy, Tracie provides a nuanced view of the media landscape.

She delves into the mission of the Pivot Fund, emphasizing its commitment to centering BIPOC communities and the importance of participatory grantmaking. Tracie underscores the need for comprehensive, wraparound services for newsrooms, highlighting the importance of holistic support that extends beyond mere financial aid.

A significant part of the discussion is dedicated to addressing both the race and often overlooked class problems in journalism. Tracie provides actionable insights on how white-led newsrooms can foster inclusivity and better represent the communities they serve.

This conversation is a deep exploration of the challenges and opportunities in today's media landscape, offering valuable insights for anyone interested in the future of journalism and the role of philanthropy in shaping it.

Episode chapters:

(02:31) - What is the Pivot Fund and how is it distinctive?

(05:04) - Centering BIPOC communities (vs. BIPOC founders), participatory grantmaking

(13:47) - Tracie’s journey through J-school, advertising & circulation, reporting, law school & philanthropy

(21:48) - Wraparound services for newsrooms

(25:36) - Journalism’s class problem

(32:20) - What white-led newsrooms should do to include people of color

(42:16) - Rapid-fire questions

Links

• Tracie Powell: LinkedIn, Twitter

• Pivot Fund: web, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube

• The Pivot Fund Pod: Apple, Spotify

• Recommendations

• Prison Town podcast

• Kansas City Defender

• Black Joy

• The hyperlocal newsrooms in your community

• Mentioned:

• Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy

• JSK Journalism Fellowships at Stanford University

• LION Publishers

• Racial Equity in Journalism (REJ) Fund at Borealis Philanthropy

• Public Square Initiative at Democracy Fund

• Columbia Journalism Review

• Poynter

• Georgetown Law Center

• Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication

• El Tîmpano

• Local Media Association interview

• Pasa la Voz

• Black America Web

• Local Media Association

• Media Impact Funders

• American Journalism Project

• Nieman Lab

• Atlanta Daily World

• Indians in Cummings GA

• Wendy Thomas and Amethyst Davis interview

• MLK 50

• Documented New York

• Enlace Latino

• Sahan Journal

• Axios Atlanta

• Decaturish

• ATLSCOOP

• butter.atl

• Reynolds Journalism Institute

• Local News Matters: web, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

• Colorado Press Association: web, Twitter, Facebook

• Tim Regan-Porter: bio, Twitter

Bio

Tracie Powell is a leader in philanthropic efforts to increase racial equity and diversity in news media. She is the founder of The Pivot Fund, which seeks to support independent BIPOC community news.

Powell was a Fall 2021 Shorenstein Center Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, where she researched mechanisms for funding and capacity building for media outlets run by and for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, other people of color, and traditionally marginalized) communities. Powell is the immediate past board chair of LION Publishers, a professional journalism association for independent news publishers where she had served on the board since 2017.

Prior to her work with The Pivot Fund and Harvard, Powell was founding fund manager of the Racial Equity in Journalism (REJ) Fund at Borealis Philanthropy. Powell is also the founder of AllDigitocracy.org, which focuses on the media and its impact on diverse communities. She was a senior fellow with the Democracy Fund, where she worked on the Public Square Initiative that seeks to support informed dialogue through nonprofit journalism investments. Powell was a 2016 JSK (Knight) Fellow at Stanford University and has written regularly for the Columbia Journalism Review and Poynter Online. Her work has been highlighted by countless journalism and academic institutions, including Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab. She is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and The University of Georgia’s Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.