Ed Fouhy to head new Pew Charitable Trusts journalism program

Washington, DC, December 29, 1997 – Pulitzer Prize winner Jan Schaffer has been named Executive Director of the Pew Center for Civic Journalism, replacing Edward M. Fouhy. Fouhy has accepted an assignment from the Pew Charitable Trusts to explore creating a new center to track and publicize policy innovations at the state level. Schaffer has been Deputy Director of the Pew Center for three–and-a-half years.

“With Jan in charge and the commitment of the Pew Trusts to the mission of the Center as firm as ever, I plan to be intensely engaged in the debate over joumalism values,” Fouhy said. “The difference is I will be on the outside, but still cheering for the same team.”

The Pew Center for Civic Journalism is spearheading what Congressional Quarterly’s “CQ Researcher” called “a reform movement seeking to rebuild public trust for journalists and, in the process, revitalize American democracy. It aims to draw people back into public life and … a more constructive search for solutions to society’s problems.”

“Civic journalism is an evolution combining the best of solid, basic journalism with the best of the modern world where interactive information flows are changing how individuals think about the world, their communities and themselves. Civic journalists around the country are inventing the joumalism of our future,” Schaffer said.

“This fresh journalism is making a difference – to the journalists themselves and to their communities,” she said. “It has been fun to work with Ed Fouhy and scores of pioneering editors and reporters around the country as we continue to explore ways to shore up tattered press credibility and sustain core journalistic values.”

“The Pew Trusts’ support for civic journalism has been one of our most challenging and innovative efforts. Through the dedication of Ed and Jan, a refreshing dialogue has taken place about journalism’s role in communities and its responsibilities to readers. We are proud to have helped make that happen,” said Rebecca Rimel, President and Chief Executive, the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Fouhy will test the hypothesis that the Washington-centered, public policy news reporting system is no longer able to serve the needs of the public, the news media, opinion leaders and policy makers; as much of the action in the policy sphere is now at the state, rather than the federal level.

If, after investigation, it appears that “what’s happening in Austin may not be reported nationally or be known in Springfield or Sacramento, I will design a research venture that will attempt to close that information gap by producing scrupulously researched, non-ideological reports on new ideas taking form in state capitals,” Fouhy said.

Schaffer was a reporter and editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer for more than 20 years. There she helped to write a series of stories on police misconduct that won a Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal. Fouhy was a reporter, producer and bureau chief for CBS, a news vice president with CBS and ABC, senior news producer at NBC and executive producer of the presidential debates in 1988 and 1992.

“The proliferation of civic journalism projects across the country – and the spirited discussions about them – have inspired editors and reporters to re-examine the links to their audiences. The momentum behind this new thinking continues to build as more and more journalists realize their obligation to give readers and viewers the news they need to make informed decisions in a self-governing society,” Rimel said. “The Trusts’ commitment to the Pew Center for Civic Journalism remains strong, and we look forward to more bold ideas and programs under Jan’s seasoned leadership.”

The Pew Charitable Trusts, among the nation’s largest philanthropies, support nonprofit activities in the environment, culture, education, health and human services, public policy and religion. Based in Philadelphia, the Trusts make strategic investments to encourage civic engagement in addressing critical issues and effecting social change.

The Pew Center for Civic Journalism collects and shares the best practices of civic journalism. The Center trains journalists around the USA in the most successful, tested civic journalism techniques through workshops, videos, publications, speeches and other outreach.