The Engaged Journalism Lab is a project of the Democracy Fund’s Public Square Program, which is focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in journalism and encouraging solidarity reporting. ¹ It is a website that contains blog posts, reports, and case studies on the concepts of “equity in journalism” and solidarity reporting, which is the practice of reporting news from the perspective of what it calls “historically marginalized communities.” It encourages foundations to invest in journalism that is created and led by people of color, and it provides recommendations to journalists on how to engage in solidarity reporting. ²

Background

Engaged Journalism Lab (The EJ Lab) is a project of the Democracy Fund, ³ a grantmaking foundation created in 2011 by eBay founder and left-wing philanthropist Pierre Omidyar’s Omidyar Group. ⁴ The EJ Lab was formed in 2018 and initially managed by Paul Waters and Lea Trusty. ⁵

Democracy Fund has four focus areas: elections, governance, a “just and inclusive” society, and a diverse public square. ⁶ The EJ Lab is a project within the Public Square Program. ⁷

The EJ Lab is a web site that contains blog posts, reports, and case studies published on Medium, ⁸ an online publishing platform developed by Twitter co-founder Evan Williams in 2012. ⁹ It is part of the Democracy Fund Public Square Program and provides information on the concept of engaged journalism as a resource for journalists on how to engage with their communities and address diversity, equity, and inclusion within the journalism profession. ¹⁰ The site also targets philanthropists, encouraging investment in solidarity reporting and equity in journalism. ¹¹

In 2021, Democracy Fund contributed over $2 million to its Public Square Program. ¹² It provides grants to many left-of-center organizations including American Press Institute, Borealis Philanthropy, Chalkbeat, Data for Black Lives, Media Democracy Fund (MDF), and New America (New America Foundation). ¹³

The Stanford Social Innovation Review published an article in January 2021 encouraging philanthropy to address many left-of-center issues. It specifically called out Democracy Fund’s Engaged Journalism Lab in its efforts to “increase diversity and equity in journalism.” ¹⁴

The EJ Lab Content

The website includes content that encourages solidarity reporting, which is the practice of journalism that reports news from the perspective of “historically marginalized communities” rather than from the authorities involved. Solidarity reporting recommends avoiding established experts, law enforcement, or “institutions of power,” suggesting that this causes misinformation in the news. ¹⁵

The EJ Lab web site content also encourages “equity in journalism” by recommending that foundations invest in journalism that is created and led by people of color rather than “white-centric and led media” and to decrease the “white supremacy” while grantmaking. ¹⁶ One recommendation is to support Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women in journalism, and references the Asian American Journalists Association, Chalkbeat, News Revenue Hub, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP). ¹⁷

Leadership

Editor Josh Stearns is director of Democracy Fund’s Public Square Program. Engaged Journalism Lab is part of this program. ¹⁸ He has been with Democracy Fund since 2016. Previously, Stearns was a director with Free Press and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. ¹⁹

Paul Waters and Lea Trusty initially managed The EJ Lab as it formed in 2018. ²⁰ Paul Waters is a director at Democracy Fund. He has been with the organization since 2014. Previously he was a board member of Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) and worked at the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of State during the Obama Administration. ²¹

Editor and writer Lea Trusty is program associate at Democracy Fund. ²² She has been with Democracy Fund since 2017. Previously, she was a Newman’s Own Foundation fellow at WSHU Public Radio. ²³

1. Josh Stearns. “Introducing the Engaged Journalism Lab.” The Democracy Fund. June 18, 2018. Accessed July 1, 2023. https://democracyfund.org/idea/introducing-the-engaged-journalism-lab/
2. “The Engaged Journalism Lab.” Medium.com. Accessed July 2, 2023. https://medium.com/the-engaged-journalism-lab
3. “About The Engaged Journalism Lab.” Medium.com. Accessed July 1, 2023. https://medium.com/the-engaged-journalism-lab/about
4. “Organizations.” The Omidyar Group. Accessed July 1, 2023. https://www.omidyargroup.com/organizations/
5. Josh Stearns. “Introducing the Engaged Journalism Lab.” The Democracy Fund. June 18, 2018. Accessed July 1, 2023. https://democracyfund.org/idea/introducing-the-engaged-journalism-lab/
6. “What We Do.” Democracy Fund. Accessed July 2, 2023. https://democracyfund.org/what-we-do/
7. Josh Stearns. “Introducing the Engaged Journalism Lab.” The Democracy Fund. June 18, 2018. Accessed July 1, 2023. https://democracyfund.org/idea/introducing-the-engaged-journalism-lab/
8.  Josh Stearns. “Introducing the Engaged Journalism Lab.” The Democracy Fund. June 18, 2018. Accessed July 1, 2023. https://democracyfund.org/idea/introducing-the-engaged-journalism-lab/
9.  “What Is Medium.com? Here’s A 24-Minute Guide For 2021.” Finding Tom. March 10, 2021. Accessed July 1, 2023. https://findingtom.com/what-is-medium-com/
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14. ^[1] Mohit Mookim, Rob Reich, Nadia Roumani, Ayushi Vig. “How Can Philanthropy Help Rehabilitate US Democracy?” Stanford Social Innovation Review. January 6, 2021. Accessed July 1, 2023. https://ssir.org/articles/entry/how_can_philanthropy_help_rehabilitate_us_democracy
15. Anita Varma. “Want to support accurate journalism? Fund solidarity reporting.” The Engaged Journalism Lab. July 28, 2021. Accessed July 2, 2023. https://medium.com/the-engaged-journalism-lab/want-to-support-accurate-journalism-fund-solidarity-reporting-cef4ccb47461
16. Lea Trusty. “Holding Ourselves Accountable: How Democracy Fund is Supporting Media Equity Now.” The Engaged Journalism Lab. June 17, 2021. Accessed July 2, 2023. https://medium.com/the-engaged-journalism-lab/holding-ourselves-accountable-how-democracy-fund-is-supporting-media-equity-now-e95f6b9ce80d
17. Lea Trusty. “Why we’re urging funders to support AAPI women’s leadership in journalism now.” The Engaged Journalism Lab. March 19, 2021. Accessed July 2, 2023. https://medium.com/the-engaged-journalism-lab/why-were-urging-funders-to-support-aapi-women-s-leadership-in-journalism-now-d35469859781
18. “About The Engaged Journalism Lab.” Medium.com. Accessed July 1, 2023. https://medium.com/the-engaged-journalism-lab/about
19. LinkedIn – Josh Stearns. Accessed July 1, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcstearns/details/experience/
20. Josh Stearns. “Introducing the Engaged Journalism Lab.” The Democracy Fund. June 18, 2018. Accessed July 1, 2023. https://democracyfund.org/idea/introducing-the-engaged-journalism-lab/
21. LinkedIn – Paul Waters. Accessed July 1, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/pewaters/details/experience/
22.  “About The Engaged Journalism Lab.” Medium.com. Accessed July 1, 2023. https://medium.com/the-engaged-journalism-lab/about
23. LinkedIn – Lea Trusty. Accessed July 1, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lea-trusty-992692135/