Local connection was the theme when Maribel Pérez Wadsworth addressed the largest Knight Media Forum in history.

Nearly 1000 delegates attended the forum in Miami last month, against a backdrop of challenging political environment for journalists and civic life.

“We know that communities are strongest when we value and empower every member,” the Knight President and chief executive (pictured) said. “And our strength has always been our deep local roots.

The local connection “matters now more than ever”, and comes at a pivotal moment for local news and philanthropy in America. Press Forward and its funders have already invested more than US$200 million (A$319 million), with 36 local chapters emerging nationwide and more funders than ever stepping up to support local news.

Pérez Wadsworth – who stepped into her role just before last year’s forum with a call “move at the speed of news” – has already seen Knight invested $150 million in local news as part of a $300 million, five-year commitment to Press Forward.

Calls to action echoed throughout the conference, emphasising the enduring trust within communities. "The power to create change is not lost – it’s local,” she said.

Testing a new approach, KMF brought together “all the fields that Knight touches” including dedicated gatherings for civic leaders, researchers, librarians, Carnegie-Knight Deans, community foundations and artists with sessions covering everything from free speech to climate solutions.

Knight also announced a US$25 million investment in the American Journalism Project, with support for up to 60 nonprofit news outlets and the launch of the Knight Resiliency Lab.

Not every subject was serious, however, with John Jarboe of the Bearded Ladies Cabaret – a Knight arts grantee based in Philadelphia – leading the ‘Late Night Snacks’ crowd in a sing-along. (Photos Eva Marie Uzcátegui and Marco Bello for Knight Foundation)