Two hundred and five small local news outlets — including one in every U.S. state — will receive a share of $20 million to close persistent coverage gaps in their communities, thanks to funding from Press Forward, the nationwide movement to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news.
Motivated by the extraordinary quality and number of proposals, Press Forward is funding twice as many news organizations as it anticipated initially through its first open call. The recipients, the majority receiving $100,000 in general operating support, were selected from a total of 931 proposals from newsrooms with annual budgets of less than $1 million.
The grant recipients are a bright mosaic of independent, non-partisan sources reimagining what local news looks like across America. Learn more about them at pressforward.news/grantees.
“These newsrooms are proof that we are seeing a moment of transformation, where new and longstanding leaders are stepping up to create a new story for local news,” said Dale R. Anglin, director, Press Forward. “Each of these newsrooms plays a vital public service role in its community — providing trustworthy local news and information in places where no other sources may exist. Independent newsrooms need community support to survive. We hope that more people will subscribe and donate to them.”
The public can join in supporting local newsrooms across the country by donating to the Press Forward Pooled Fund. Every dollar (up to $5 million) will be matched to support local newsrooms across the U.S. Learn more at pressforward.news/grantees.
About the 205 recipients:
The current recipients include newer nonprofits — some launched as information needs became evident during the pandemic — and enduring for-profit outlets continuing to innovate after a century in business. Some newsrooms are reporting on the vast American countryside, where they are the only news source for hundreds of miles, while others cover people of color and linguistically diverse communities that traditional news sources have overlooked.
Collectively, they are reporting and producing the original, locally based stories people need to be involved in their cities and make decisions about their daily lives — from how their tax money is being spent to the positions of candidates in local elections.
In addition:
40% of grantees are headed by Black, Indigenous and other leaders of color, including:
25% of recipients are serving rural communities, including:
And eight are college newsrooms, including:
More information and a searchable database listing all recipients is on Press Forward’s website.
Press Forward is a growing coalition of donors committed to reimagining local news. The funding for this open call comes from donors who contributed to Press Forward’s Pooled Fund, housed at The Miami Foundation. In addition to raising money and awareness for local news, Press Forward has launched 31 local chapters around the country over the past year, where local leaders are gathering support to strengthen their community through local news.
Press Forward’s coalition members are committed to the initiative’s four funding priorities: strengthening local newsrooms, advancing public policy that expands access to local news, scaling the infrastructure the sector needs to thrive, and the subject of this open call, closing local coverage gaps, so that all communities are part of the conversations about the issues that most affect their lives.
Press Forward engaged 114 advisors from a range of backgrounds in the application reviewer process. Each application was scored and evaluated using a rubric that favored newsrooms filling news gaps with strong, community-based leadership, a plan for sustainability and a track record of community listening and collaboration. The Press Forward staff, including veterans in philanthropy and journalism, narrowed the list further and, with input from the Management Committee, made the final decisions to ensure a balanced list for maximum impact across the country. You can learn more about our selection process on the Press Forward blog.
About Press Forward:
Press Forward is a nationwide movement to strengthen our democracy by revitalizing local news and information. Press Forward’s growing coalition of 60+ funders has committed to invest more than $500 million to strengthen local newsrooms, close longstanding gaps in journalism coverage, advance public policy that expands access to local news and scale infrastructure the sector needs to thrive. Press Forward is housed at The Miami Foundation. For more, visit pressforward.news.
For press inquiries, please contact Marika Lynch, communications@pressforward.news.
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