McCormick Foundation Invests More Than $5 Million to Promote News Literacy and the Protection of First Amendment Rights

McCormick Foundation Invests More Than $5 Million to Promote News Literacy and
the Protection of First Amendment Rights

New Foundation Program Addresses Upheaval in Media Landscape

CHICAGO, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The McCormick Foundation has
approved more than $5 million in grants to organizations targeting news
literacy, investigative journalism and defense of First Amendment rights.
These new grants signal an important shift in direction for the Foundation's
core journalism program, responding to the dramatic changes in news and
consumer media.

"The news media world as we know it has been blown to bits, and consumers are
showered with thousands of news and information sources," said Foundation
President and CEO David Hiller. "In this vast new world, a growing sector of
the U.S. population does not distinguish or appreciate the differences among
journalists, information spinners and citizen voices. It is important for us
all to be savvy consumers of news and more informed decision makers. What
stays the same is that nothing is more critical to the vitality of a democracy
than a free press and an engaged citizenry."

At the core of the Foundation's journalism program is "news literacy," an
emerging movement focusing on encouraging and developing critical thinking
skills in citizens of all ages so that they can judge the reliability and
credibility of information received through various media sources. A closely
related initiative will encourage and protect the area of investigative
journalism, which has been threatened by the weakened financial position of
many news organizations.

"We believe there must be new solutions for the challenges faced by the media,
by journalists and, most of all, by the citizens who make decisions based on
the availability of sound, professional reporting and unbiased news sources.
Non-profits and foundations must take a strong lead on these issues, which
affect the very fabric of our society," said Hiller.

In line with its new direction, the McCormick Foundation granted $100,000 to
the Center for News Literacy at the Stony Brook Foundation. This one-year
grant will create a news literacy curriculum and distribution system for high
schools and colleges. In addition, the Poynter Institute received a $75,000
grant to support their News Literacy Project. This one-year grant will expand
the Project's journalism curriculum into five Chicago middle schools and
develop classroom news literacy programs and after-school programs focusing on
news and current events. The Foundation also granted $120,000 to Street Level
Youth Media's (SLYM) Sounding Point radio initiative. This two-year grant
will allow SLYM to offer an 8-12 week radio production workshop to more than
45 students ages 8-18. Participants will produce audio programming that
features interviews, spoken words, fictional stories, documentaries and music
content. The top ten projects will be distributed nationally. Other grants
can be found on the Foundation's Web site at McCormickFoundation.org.

About the McCormick Foundation
The McCormick Foundation is committed to strengthening our free, democratic
society by investing in children, communities and country. Through its
grant-making programs, Cantigny Park and Golf, museums, and civic outreach
programs, the Foundation helps build a more active and engaged citizenry. It
was established as a charitable trust in 1955, upon the death of Colonel
Robert R. McCormick, the longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune.
The McCormick Foundation is one of the nation's largest charities, with more
than $1 billion in assets. For more information, please visit
www.McCormickFoundation.org.

SOURCE McCormick Foundation

Abby Taylor of the McCormick Foundation, +1-312-445-5066,
ATaylor@McCormickFoundation.org