What's Up With That Big Grant to the Atlantic Monthly From the Walton Family Foundation?
Paul M.J. Suchecki & David Callahan
We've been saying for a while that the tight new embrace between journalism and philanthropy is tricky, and for some obvious reasons. Foundations have agendas, and so when they give money to media outlets, you can't but wonder how that might influence coverage.
Last year, we reported on the controversy around a big grant from the Arnold Foundation—which favors pension reform—to support a television series called Pension Peril at the PBS station in New York, WNET. The money was returned after public criticism.
We've also noted a double standard at work in scrutinizing this funding, and how some large foundation grants to media outfits attract very little scrutiny, even though they should—for example, the generous support to public radio by two foundations with a progressive agenda, Ford and Robert Wood Johnson, for coverage of specific issues, such as healthcare and inequality. If the Koch brothers made similar grants to media outlets, you can bet there'd be a firestorm. Ford has also given over $1.5 million to the Los Angeles Times in recent years.
Still, it doesn't feel great to complain about philanthropic support of journalism at a time when serious media outlets are struggling to survive. What's more, evidence that funding has any impact on coverage is hard to come by and—anyway—the old model of relying on corporate advertising was filled with conflicts as well, and media created rules to mitigate those conflicts.
All of which is important context for spotlighting a grant of $550,000made last year by the leading philanthropic proponent of charter schools, the Walton Family Foundation, to the Atlantic Monthly, a storied magazine that's been commanding attention from the nation's educated elite for a century and a half. The grant was made as part of Walton's effort's to shape public policy, with the foundation describing its goal in this area as catalyzing a "national movement demanding choice and accountability."
So how, exactly, does the Atlantic help the foundation advance it's game plan?
That's a good question. The money funded two live events hosted in partnership with the Aspen Institute, a Washington D.C. based think tank. The first was the Washington Ideas Forum 2014 which featured participation by U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Joe Manchin, III (D-WV) Delaware Governor Jack Markell (D) and U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel Chief along with ABC News’ White House Correspondent, Jonathan Allen and the Atlantic Monthly’s National Correspondent, James Fallows. The second event is the Aspen Ideas Festival 2015 scheduled for June 25 – July 4, 2015 in Aspen, Colorado. These gatherings are billed as forums where participants have the opportunity to hear from influential leaders who “discuss the ideas and issues that both shape our lives and challenge our times.” Past sponsors include the American Federation of Teachers, Mount Sinai, PBS, Toyota, and the Gates Foundation. The Aspen Institute and the Atlantic retain editorial control of the events including who speaks and what topics get covered.
We should note that beyond big grants to pro-charter advocates, Walton gives money to a wide variety of institutions under its public policy What's Up With That Big Grant to the Atlantic Monthly From the Walton Family Foundation? - Inside Philanthropy: Fundraising Intelligence - Inside Philanthropy:
