Celebrating 30 Years with a Focus on the Future

Determined. Passionate. Agile. That’s the Benton Foundation, a small organization among giant foundations, global nonprofits, immense communication companies, and the behemoth that is the federal government. Our size is our strength. It enables us to tightly focus on media and their critical role in serving the public interest. For 30 years, we have championed media as the bedrock of democracy. Thirty years ago, the Benton Foundation set out to articulate what media that serve the public interest might look like.

Since then we have consistently embraced this vision:

• Access, equity, and diversity are paramount.
• Nonprofit organizations, educators, and community-builders are equipped with communications tools and training.
• Media production and content come from increasingly decentralized, inclusive, and diverse sources.
• Political debate and deliberation expand and become both more participatory and more informed.