Announcing National Media Literacy Alliance

NEW YORK, N.Y. (August 14, 2023) — The Scripps Family Impact Fund (SFIF) is a collaborative gifting effort comprised of founder of the E.W. Scripps Company, Edward W. Scripps’ descendants. For 2023, the fund benefits the journalism industry, which has been at the core of the family’s legacy media business since 1878. The National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) was among the nonprofit organizations to receive an award as part of SFIF’s 2023 funding cycle. 

“Educators today face the challenge of helping students navigate the most complex media ecosystem that has ever existed,” said NAMLE Executive Director Michelle Ciulla Lipkin. “A contribution of this magnitude will have an enormous impact on our ability to serve our community of educators. We are overwhelmed with appreciation for this generous support, and the difference it will make.”

SFIF’s board selected three finalists and three runners-up, including Indigenous Youth Media Workshop, Journalistic Learning Initiative, My Hero Project, NAMLE, Youth Journalism International and Community Learning Center Institute, respectively. The Scripps family contributed a total of $2,193,000 this year, which includes $168,000 to grow NAMLE’s work with teachers, students, community organizations and the general public. 

The funds directly impact NAMLE’s strategic goals to build greater awareness of the value and necessity of media literacy and scale the practice of media literacy education across the United States. It will also support NAMLE’s biggest initiatives including the National Media Literacy Conference, U.S. Media Literacy Week, the National Media Literacy Alliance and an inaugural Media Literacy Leadership Summit this year.

“It has become incredibly challenging to navigate the fire hose of information; there is a relentless news cycle, push for clicks and amplification of noise. Being a critical thinker and active participant in today’s world requires media literacy skills,” said Dr. Kimberly Moffitt, NAMLE Board Chair and Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). “We are grateful to the Scripps Family Impact Fund for prioritizing efforts to ensure all students receive the education they need to thrive in this complicated world.”