The Knight Center for the Future of News — “a transformative new initiative designed to re-imagine journalism in the U.S. and build a stronger, more trusted and financially sustainable news ecosystem,” will launch at Arizona State University July 1, ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication announced June 5.
The Knight Center’s funding comes from a $10.5 million grant from John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and an additional $4 million investment from ASU. It “will serve as a national hub for research, experimentation and practical solutions to the most urgent challenges in journalism,” according to the school’s statement.
The Cronkite School said the Knight Center, which will be based at the school in downtown Phoenix, will include three dedicated labs and a central innovation hub:
- Journalism, Community and Democracy Lab — addressing declining public trust in news and developing strategies to rebuild credibility.
- Sustainability Lab — exploring revenue models to ensure the long-term financial viability of news organizations.
- Innovation in Reporting and Storytelling Lab — experimenting with emerging storytelling and information-gathering tools, including artificial intelligence, to engage new, younger and broader audiences.
- The Information Hub — connecting thought leaders, gathering insights and disseminating best practices across the industry.
The school is located at 555 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix. Arizona PBS, home of KAET-TV, Channel 8, is housed in the Cronkite School building.
Image by Parker West on Pixabay
More details:
https://cronkite.asu.edu/news/2025/grant-launch-knight-center-future-news/
SPJ: Phoenix, Arizona Chapter 