El Dorado News-Times

Craigslist founder donates $15 million for journalism ethics

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PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — The founder of Craigslist says he will donate $15 million to Columbia University and the Poynter Institute for separate efforts promoting ethics in journalism.

The announceme­nt on Wednesday establishe­s Craig Newmark in the forefront of philanthro­pists focused on journalism, a cause he's supported with some $85 million in the past few years. Some in the industry see irony in that, since the online classified advertisin­g site that made him rich took away a lucrative revenue source for many newspapers.

Columbia, with one of the leading graduate journalism programs in the country, will get $10 million to establish the Craig Newmark Center for Journalism Ethics and Security. The Florida-based Poynter think tank will get $5 million, its largest single donation ever, to offer additional journalism ethics training.

Newmark said he's been concerned since the 2016 election about attacks on the press and the trust of citizens in the institutio­n. Among his other gifts has been $20 million to establish a graduate school for journalism at the City University of New York.

"A trustworth­y press is the immune system of democracy," Newmark said.

Technology has made ethical issues much more complex than they used to be, said Steve Coll, dean of the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. The ability to manipulate video, the need to protect sources in a high-tech world and provide security for journalist­s against online harassment are all issues that will be ripe for study in the new center Columbia will set up, he said.

Columbia will soon begin searching for a professor to direct the effort, he said.

Newmark, Coll said, "has decided to use his wealth very deliberate­ly and we're all appreciati­ve of that."

Kelly McBride, senior vice president at Poynter who has been the go-to expert for many in the journalism community who have questions about the ethical aspects of doing their job, said there's been an increase in requests for help from newsrooms and individual­s over the past two years.

"I feel like the industry is calling out for some sort of reinforcem­ent," she said, "and I really hope that we can be that resource in a much larger way than we do right now."

The naming gift will create a new center for ethics and leadership at Poynter, where Newmark is a member of the board of directors.

Newmark said guilt about Craigslist's impact on journalism doesn't motivate him. While he said Craigslist had some effect on newspaper revenues, several other factors contribute­d to the financial troubles of journalism, and a focus on the company he created "is entirely misplaced."

 ?? Photo by Brad Barket/Invision/AP, File ?? Founder: In this Nov. 5, 2018 file photo, Craig Newmark attend the 12th annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit red carpet at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The founder of Craigslist says he will donate $15 million to Columbia University and the Poynter Institute for separate efforts promoting ethics in journalism.
Photo by Brad Barket/Invision/AP, File Founder: In this Nov. 5, 2018 file photo, Craig Newmark attend the 12th annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit red carpet at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The founder of Craigslist says he will donate $15 million to Columbia University and the Poynter Institute for separate efforts promoting ethics in journalism.

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