Institute is a partnership initiative of the Newhouse and Maxwell schools.
The Hearst Foundations have awarded a $250,000 grant to the University’s Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship (IDJC), which engages in nonpartisan research, teaching and public dialogue aimed at strengthening trust in news media, governance and society.
The grant is one of 63 totaling $10.2 million overall conferred this fall by the Hearst Foundations to organizations across the country. The award to Syracuse University will support the mission of the IDJC, the partnership initiative of the Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
“We’re so grateful for the support of the Hearst Foundations,” said Margaret Talev, IDJC Kramer Director and a professor of practice at Newhouse. “It’s essential for students and the public to know how to connect the dots between the information we consume, the government we get, the freedoms we enjoy and our own roles in shaping the system. This generous grant will allow us to expand these programs.”
Launched in 2022 and based in Washington, D.C., the IDJC brings together today’s leaders, the next generation of professionals and the public to examine challenges to democracy and across society at large.
“The Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship and the other fall 2024 grant recipients exemplify this program’s overarching mission of supporting outstanding nonprofits that further initiatives in culture, education, health and social services,” said Donna Kalajian Lagani, co-executive director of Hearst Foundations. “We look forward to watching the IDJC share its important work of shining a light on the critical importance of journalism and civic engagement in our democracy.”
The Hearst Foundations, which are comprised of the William Randolph Hearst Foundation and The Hearst Foundation Inc., has supported endowed scholarships and various other Syracuse University initiatives for more than three decades.