Mississippi Today was selected after a competitive process to be part of the first group of 24 newsrooms that received $20,000 grants to improve distribution, community engagement, and revenue opportunities such as digital memberships and subscriptions. Paul Cheung, Knight Foundation director of journalism and technology innovation, stated that newsrooms and publishers must adopt digital solutions to reach their audiences and create new revenue streams. “These exceptional news organizations now have an opportunity to leverage technology in order to maximize their revenues and better serve their communities,” said Paul Cheung, Knight Foundation director for journalism and technology innovation. News organizations need tools to engage with users about race and equity and provide real-time updates regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Knight funding will enable news organizations to achieve their goals by providing publishing tools that help them prioritize and increase audience development, business development, and editorial content production. Mary Margaret White, CEO of Mississippi Today, stated that readers are the heartbeat of all we do. “I am proud to see the Knight Foundation recognize the efforts of our audience team. These funds will directly support reader experience and further amplify the voices of everyday Mississippians through our reporting. Knight Foundation grants like these give us the tools to diversify our revenue and allow us to keep our website free for all Mississippians.” These 24 newsrooms were chosen from a pool of 140 applicants. News Revenue Hub, an industry panel, evaluated each application based on industry impact, grant utilization, and application strength. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Knight Foundation are a national foundation that has strong local roots. They invest in journalism and the arts and support the success of the cities where James L. Knight and John S. Knight used to publish newspapers. They believe that informed and engaged communities are vital for a healthy democracy. Visit kf.org for more information. Mississippi Today