Detroit Public TV: A Growing Force in Local Journalism
Cynthia and Edsel Ford establish fund to support DPTV’s
One Detroit team in its in-depth coverage of issues
One Detroit team in its in-depth coverage of issues
DPTV is also the broadcast leader in the prestigious Society of Professional Journalists Awards
Join the Ford family in supporting local journalism at DPTV and have your donation doubled by the $40,000 Cynthia & Edsel Ford Fund for Journalism
challenge grant – now through June 30 – at dptv.org/journalism
If you agree that there has never been a time when trustworthy, fact-based local journalism was more important than it is today, we invite you to make a commitment now to help secure its future. With newsrooms shrinking and traditional media outlets struggling to survive, news and information at the local level have become an urgently needed resource.
That’s why Detroit Public TV has upped its commitment to local journalism by assembling a team of award-winning journalists and establishing a news-reporting bureau in Midtown Detroit. The objective of our One Detroit initiative is to share the authentic stories of our city and region with unprecedented depth and an understanding of the issues that matter most to our diverse communities. We do this by embedding our reporters in local neighborhoods and inviting viewers into the crucial conversations shaping policy in our state.
I am proud to announce that Cynthia and Edsel Ford have stepped forward to support this crucial effort. The Cynthia & Edsel Ford Fund for Journalism at Detroit Public TV will provide $200,000 over 5 years to help us continue to develop and expand our local coverage.
Having supporters as civic-minded and esteemed as the Fords recognize the valuable work of our journalists is a source of great inspiration. Their commitment will help drive the coverage our community has come to expect on our weekly programs, like “One Detroit” and “American Black Journal,” and in our contributions to “PBS NewsHour,” the PBS WORLD Channel and other nationally broadcast programs, as we ensure that the rest of the country hears the true story of Detroit.
Join Cynthia and Edsel Ford in supporting the expansion of local journalism at DPTV, as we leverage their generous gift to create a challenge grant to raise $40,000 in matching contributions from viewers and members of the DPTV community by June 30.
Your contribution will be matched dollar for dollar by the new fund when you make a donation here: dptv.org/journalism.
I am also pleased to report that our One Detroit team was the major winner in the Excellence in Journalism Awards in the television categories of this year’s Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Detroit Chapter contest, receiving 5 first place honors, more than any other competitor.
You can watch clips of the winning entries on our website.
Also, SPJ was kind enough to give me a Lifetime Achievement Award for local journalism. Of course, the great reporters and producers at Detroit Public TV are the ones who deserve recognition. But if it encourages others to support our work, then it’s more than an honor to accept this award on behalf of our station.
I am sincerely grateful to the SPJ for this award and want to applaud all that organization does to help local journalism flourish.
At DPTV, we believe Detroit is the most important city in America. Thanks to Cynthia and Edsel Ford and many others who support our work, we recommit to giving Detroit every day the trustworthy journalism it deserves and Media That Matters.
Rich Homberg
President and CEO
Detroit Public Television - 1 Clover Court, Wixom, MI 48393
248-640-4169 - rhomberg@dptv.org - @RichHomberg
What’s the future of journalism and public media? We’re building it at DPTV.
Find out more: http://www.dptv.org/programs/media-that-matters/
