The Arizona Local News Foundation is thrilled to announce 15 local newsrooms will receive an unprecedented level of multi-year funding to expand journalism about education solutions in Arizona.
Thanks to $2 million in philanthropy already raised as part of a growing Arizona Community Collaborative, each partner newsroom will hire a new journalist to focus exclusively on education solutions reporting.
With an end goal of creating measurable change around access, information and improvements to Arizona’s education system, the Arizona Media Association is also leveraging its Public Education Program network of more than 250 local media brands to disseminate millions of additional dollars’ worth of local advertising value about education solutions available to Arizona families.
“This is one of the most ambitious efforts in Arizona’s history to empower local media and tackle one of our state’s most pressing challenges,” said Chris Kline, president and CEO of the Arizona Media Association + Arizona Local News Foundation. “With immediate effect, this collaborative will dramatically expand community conversation and launch new discussions about how to improve Arizona education for students of all ages. We are setting out to prove that collaboration at scale can create a better future for all Arizonans.”
In partnership with an expanding list of public, private and nonprofit community partners, this collaborative will also use progress and performance metrics to guide success.
Following a rigorous application process where 40 Arizona newsrooms applied, the 15 newsrooms listed below will act as launch partners for this education journalism expansion. Collectively, these newsrooms represent urban and rural communities on digital, print, radio, and TV platforms.
This Arizona Community Collaborative is actively looking for more philanthropy to support this groundbreaking education project and is ready to expand to more newsrooms and add additional statewide advertising messages.
New community partners interested in this mission should reach out to Nate Kelly, 602-252-4833, ext. 2, nate@azmedia.org.
Current community partners include Potoff Private Philanthropy, Arizona Education Economic Commission, Burton Family Foundation, Report for America, Scripps Howard Foundation, Flinn Foundation and Arizona Media Association.
For press inquiries, contact Jen Musa, 602-252-4833, ext. 8, foundation@azmedia.org.
This is the second Arizona Community Collaborative sponsored by the Arizona Local News Foundation and its sister organization, the Arizona Media Association. The first partnership focused on making Arizona’s 2024 political debates the most accessible in Arizona history, working with the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission and dozens of local media brands to broadcast 29 debates for races that included Arizona’s U.S. Senate seat, U.S. Congressional districts, Corporation Commission, select county-level races and many ballot propositions.
About the Arizona Local News Foundation:
The Arizona Local News Foundation exists to connect communities with more local news and information that drives our state forward. Backed by 350 local media brands that are part of the Arizona Media Association and overseen by its own independent board of directors, the Foundation funds programs that ensure information is more accessible and impactful in every Arizona community.
About the Arizona Media Association:
The Arizona Media Association is the non-profit corporation that acts as the official trade association for Arizona’s local radio, TV, print and digital industry. The mission of the association is to futureproof community connection by amplifying the unique role local media can play in every Arizona neighborhood.
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