From the press release:

Seeking to change the way journalism is taught in the United States, Carnegie Corporation of New York and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation are investing more than $11 million in the expansion of a national initiative to adapt journalism education to the challenges of a struggling news industry. Three new journalism schools are joining the effort of redefining journalism education and training a new generation of journalists capable of reshaping the news industry.

The expansion will deepen and extend:

* News21 (an experimental, online news incubator);
* Curriculum enhancement;
* and a journalism education policy task force.

Each foundation will contribute half of the new funding, and allocate it among each of the initiative’s three distinct efforts.

How do you think change can be accelerated at journalism schools?

Today, Knight Foundation announced at $24 million initiative for community foundations to use media and technology to better inform their communities.

To apply for the grant-making challenge, submit a project idea in no more than 200 words between June 30th and September 15th on the initiative site, InformationNeeds.org (you can sign up to be reminded when the application process opens).

The FAQ is here.

What core community information needs do you think should be addressed first?

Knight Foundation is working with the Drupal community to fund new projects in Drupal, an open source framework and content management system. Called the Knight Drupal Initiative, new proposals are reviewed by the Drupal community and then recommended to Knight for possible funding.

The initiative’s goals:

* To enable more people to enter the digital conversation by lowering the technical barriers to entry.
* To provide powerful tools for digital publication, free and open to all.
* To encourage people to improve their communities by supporting the free exchange of information and ideas.

For details, check the tips section and the comment threads at the bottom of the FAQ (including answers from Knight Foundation journalism program associate Jose Zamora) before submitting a proposal. Proposals are being accepted on a rolling basis.

What projects would you like to see funded?