Menifee 24/7 receives grant for investigative reporting

Menifee 24/7 has received a $1,000 grant from a national online news organization to assist in its mission to report investigative and enterprise stories in the community.

The Local Independent Online News Publishers organization announced this week it has awarded a total of $25,000 to 18 of its member newsrooms for this purpose. The funds will help news publishers and editors finance their efforts in expanding in-depth news coverage and fulfilling the traditional journalism mission of holding public officials accountable for their actions. LION is making plans to seek and provide additional grants in the future.

The Impact-Designed Investigative Grants ranged from $500 to $1,500 each. Menifee 24/7 is one of six local independent news organizations in California to receive a grant. LION will also provide each newsroom with a membership into the national Investigative Reporters and Editors group.

The awards were made possible through a grant to LION Publishers from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.

LION has 200 members in 45 states. Its mission is to "foster the viability and excellence of locally focused independent online news organizations and cultivate their connections to their communities through education and action," according to a LION news release.

LION provides a platform for independent news organizations to exchange ideas and develop skills in filling the void left by the diminishing print media. The national organization helps publishers develop ways to generate funding for their efforts, and national conferences are held. Menifee 24/7 has been a LION member since 2015.

"We declare the best strategy to ensure that local communities are served by quality professional reporting is the promotion and support of local independent online news publishing," the LION website states.

"We are committed to strong local independent journalism, whether in small towns or big cities, to tell the stories that reflect their residents and build a sense of place, and to shine an informative light that allows citizens to make wise decisions. The Internet is worldwide, but every neighborhood's story is individual."

News stories made possible by these grants "are expected to have an impact — on both the communities and the publishers. The stories will be beyond the typical, strong news reporting already done by these newsrooms, shining a light on local issues that otherwise would not be reported. The publishers will then highlight the effects and benefits of such reporting as they undertake fundraising efforts based on these stories," according to the LION website.