Press Forward Announces $20 Million for 205 Local Newsrooms

At least one newsroom in every state and two U.S. territories will receive a share of $20 million in Press Forward funding, according to an announcement Wednesday. They include older newspapers, weeklies, television and radio stations, an alternative weekly, newer nonprofits, student-led newsrooms, those covering communities often underserved by journalism, and newsrooms dedicated to empowering emerging journalists. Most newsrooms will receive $100,000 for general operational support.

Press Next, as a reminderis an initiative that aims to raise $500 million in local news. It announced in April that its first open call for funding would focus on historical inequalities.

“Motivated by the extraordinary quality and number of proposals, Press Forward is ffinding twice as many news organizations as he initially predicted through his first call,” the press release reported. “The recipients, most 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.”

“These essays are proof that we are experiencing a moment of transformation, where leaders new and old are striving to create a new story for local news,” said Dale R. Anglin, director of Press Forward, in the press release. “Each of these newsrooms plays a vital public service role in its community – providing trusted local news and information in places where no other sources exist. Independent newsrooms need community support to survive. We hope more people will sign up and donate to them.”

See below the full list of newsrooms receiving funding.

Wisconsin Watch investigative reporter Bennet Goldstein reports from the field for the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk. (Courtesy: Coburn Dukehart/Wisconsin Watch)