Funding will support Phase II of the chapter’s statewide education campaign, bringing media literacy workshops to rural areas and news deserts.

ATLANTA — The Georgia chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is proud to announce it has received a $5,000 grant from the Society of Professional Journalists Foundation.

This marks the second straight year the Foundation has backed the chapter’s signature media education initiative, Georgia Knows Media.

The grant will directly support Phase II of the initiative, expanding on the statewide campaign by deploying trained journalists, journalism educators and certified community members to lead interactive public education sessions. These workshops teach participants how to evaluate news sources, recognize false information, combat artificial intelligence-generated slop and understand how local journalism works.

With the new funding, the rollout will place a special emphasis on reaching rural areas and news deserts where access to reliable, credible local information is increasingly scarce. Attendees who complete the approximately one-hour session receive a certificate and a toolkit empowering them to lead their own sessions for families, friends and local organizations, ensuring the program’s reach extends well beyond each initial workshop. Ultimately, the chapter aims to refine this framework into a scalable toolkit that can be shared with other organizations looking to do similar work across the country.

“Our program’s goal is to give people tools to figure out ‘what’s real’ in today’s confusing media landscape, which is full of AI slop and false information,” said Joshua Wilson, SPJ Georgia vice president and media literacy committee chair. “Receiving this support from the SPJ Foundation for a second consecutive year allows us to deepen our roots across the Peach State, sending our trained facilitators directly into underserved rural communities and news deserts to build lasting media trust and protect the foundation of an informed public.”

The grant to SPJ Georgia is part of a nationwide announcement from the SPJ Foundation, which awarded $100,000 in grants to 12 journalism organizations and SPJ chapters during its meeting at SPJ26 in Columbus, Ohio. The highly competitive 2026 grant cycle drew a record-breaking 104 applications requesting a total of $2.1 million in funding.

The Foundation’s 2026 funding priorities focused on protecting and defending press freedom, promoting media literacy and public trust in journalism, equipping journalists to advocate for the profession and developing innovative approaches to maintain access to credible information.

“The extraordinary response to this year’s grant program shows both the need and the creativity that exist across the journalism community,” said SPJ Foundation President Matthew T. Hall. “These projects will give journalists, students and the public practical tools to defend press freedom, strengthen trust and expand access to credible information. We’re proud to support this work.”

Grants Committee Chair Jane Kirtley noted that selecting just 12 recipients out of 104 competitive proposals was a rigorous process, emphasizing that the winning projects stood out for their likelihood of success, potential for replication and impact on journalists, students and the public.

“The proposals demonstrated how many organizations are developing creative, practical ways to protect press freedom, improve media literacy and strengthen journalism,” Kirtley said. “Selecting just 12 projects from 104 applications was no easy task.”

Community groups, civic clubs and organizations interested in hosting a free Georgia Knows Media session — or individuals and sponsors looking to support the program’s expansion — can contact the chapter at spjgeorgia@gmail.com. To learn more about the initiative and upcoming public events, visit spjgeorgia.com/gkm.

About SPJ Georgia: Founded in 2014, the Georgia chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists supports journalists across the state by connecting them with resources and each other. Members represent all mediums of the profession and commit to a shared Code of Ethics published by the national organization. Chapter members also work to empower communities through initiatives like the Georgia Knows Media education campaign. Learn more at spjgeorgia.com.

About the SPJ Foundation: The Society of Professional Journalists Foundation is a public foundation dedicated to ensuring that those who carry on the tradition of a free press are prepared for the challenge. The SPJ Foundation supports the educational and professional needs of journalists and journalism students. Learn more at spj.org/spj-foundation.