IWMF Receives $200K from Knight Foundation to Expand U.S. Journalism Safety

Funders invest more than $2M this year into national newsroom safety infrastructure

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) is pleased to announce a $200,000 grant from the Knight Foundation to expand its journalism safety offerings in the United States. As press freedom faces unprecedented challenges domestically, this funding continues large-scale philanthropic investments in the IWMF's work protecting journalists.

The grant from Knight Foundation will support the IWMF's Newsroom Safety Across America (NSAA) initiative, a safety training and capacity-building program addressing the evolving dangers facing journalists nationwide. Since its launch in February 2024, NSAA has trained 1,335 journalists across 20 states. Knight Foundation's grant will enable NSAA to train 600 additional journalists through 2026 and build a cohort of eight safety experts in Knight Foundation communities to provide sustainable, local support.

"Journalists who feel safe and supported, online and in the field, are better able to focus on telling stories that shape our daily lives," said Marisa Kwiatkowski, director of journalism at Knight Foundation. "The IWMF has empowered newsrooms across the country, helping ensure they have the resources to continue serving their communities."

In a post-training survey, 89 percent of 430 NSAA respondents reported that the program was "extremely or very relevant" to their work. The IWMF is now scaling the program to create a national safety infrastructure accessible to all journalists. This summer, the IWMF announced a $1.5 million grant from Press Forward to train 3,000 journalists over three years and develop regional safety ambassadors to support local newsrooms.

"As press freedom faces new pressure in the U.S., there is a tremendous need for both journalism safety trainings and safety trainers who understand the real-life, on-the-ground scenarios reporters experience," said Dale Anglin, Executive Director of Press Forward. "We're proud to invest in the IWMF's training model to create a news safety infrastructure that can sustain itself for years to come."

After more than a decade of providing Hostile Environment and First Aid Training (HEFAT) internationally, the IWMF brought its wraparound safety programming to the U.S. in 2020. Since then, funders have recognized the organization as the leading provider of journalism safety training nationally, underscoring the protection of journalists as a critical tenet of press freedom.

"Journalists are frontline witnesses to history; ensuring their safety is paramount," said Kathy Im, Director of Journalism and Media at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. "The IWMF's wraparound approach to journalist safety – physical, emotional, and digital – is vital to keeping reporters in the field." MacArthur Foundation is a champion of safety throughout the journalism industry, granting more than $900,000 to support the IWMF's work at large.

"The IWMF was one of the first journalism organizations to recognize the threat online violence posed to journalists," said Craig Newmark. "Together, we've taken initiative to keep journalists safer online and raise awareness of the severity of this issue." Since 2020, Craig Newmark Philanthropies has contributed over $1 million to help the IWMF's combat online abuse, including developing the Coalition Against Online Violence and the Online Violence Response Hub.

Additional supporters of the IWMF's U.S. safety programs include Ford Foundation and the Democracy Fund. Information on the IWMF's full scope of safety work – including research, resources, online courses and training inquiries – can be found at https://www.iwmf.org/safety/.

To request a Newsroom Safety Across America training for your organization or newsroom, please fill out our interest form.

About the IWMF

The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) is the only global organization built to serve the holistic needs of women and nonbinary journalists. We are a bold and inclusive organization that supports journalists where they are with awards, reporting opportunities, fellowships, grants, safety training and emergency aid. As one of the largest supporters of women-produced journalism, our transformative work strengthens equal opportunity and press freedom worldwide. Follow the IWMF on X/Twitter at @IWMF, on Facebook at @IWMFPage, on Instagram on @TheIWMF and on TikTok @theiwmf.

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SOURCE The International Women's Media Foundation