The philanthropic sector’s response to the public media crisis has been swift and impactful: Funders large and small from across the country have come together quickly to help keep stations on the air by supporting them directly, via locally spearheaded efforts, and through the Public Media Bridge Fund, which yesterday announced $26 million in stabilization grants benefitting 180 of the most vulnerable stations, serving 30 million Americans. 

Even with this vital support, local stations face a bumpy road ahead, as they adjust their operations and programming to this new reality without federal funding. For many, surviving long term will require new allies, new ideas, new infrastructure and new investments – most of which must come from the communities they serve. 

In this context, we’re excited to announce that seven of our Press Forward local chapters – Alaska, Central Appalachia, Bloomington & Monroe County (Indiana), Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico and North Carolina – are receiving a total of $2.7 million from Press Forward’s national Pooled Fund to support place-based efforts that build long-term resilience of public media. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, a longtime supporter of public media and a founding Press Forward funder, is seeding our investment, which local chapters will leverage to catalyze or increase local support for funded projects.

We’re committed to working in close coordination with the Public Media Bridge Fund, Native Public Media, and other national and local stakeholders, because we know that strengthening original, local news service for the long-term will require hard choices, selfless decisions, and systemic transformation. Press Forward’s Public Media Resilience grants will help coalitions of local stations build long-term sustainability by making operational changes that reduce costs, generate new revenue, strengthen coordination and partnerships, and leverage economies of scale among public-service broadcast, digital and even print platforms, in the public interest. Local chapters will be working directly with station leaders and community members, and grantmaking will be by invitation only.  

We are excited to see the range of bold solutions that these place-based, station-led coalitions will design. We have already seen evidence from our own grantees that strong organizational partnerships, shared infrastructure and technology, hub-affiliate models, and mission-aligned mergers can help otherwise isolated local news providers build strength and resilience – and better reach audiences across digital, print and broadcast platforms. Partnerships between independent local newsrooms, other trusted civic institutions, and community residents are also on the rise – and can play vital roles that increase local news resources and reach. 

To support this work, Press Forward chapters will lean into their superpowers – convening news partners and community leaders to center local information needs and draw in more local investment. In the coming months, station-led coalitions will develop two-year plans that strengthen place-based infrastructure – with a focus on sustaining original, local news coverage and cultural content for rural and underserved communities most at risk-of losing service. 

At Press Forward, we strongly believe that this moment of crisis for public media has the potential to be a rebirth for local news – if we lead locally. While top-down models that treat communities solely as content distribution points can erode public trust and local investment, local reporters, residents and expertise are valuable assets. Though program partnerships, affiliations, and even mergers can be hard and take time – news leaders with shared values can also commit to protect local flavor, originality and trust. 

Through this initiative, we are also excited to demonstrate Press Forward’s networked, rapid-response approach to serving community information needs. When a crisis occurs – be it a natural disaster or federal funding cuts – the growing Press Forward network of local chapters, national and community-based partners, and grantees can be a resource for ensuring that philanthropic dollars for local news are guided by community priorities. 

In fact, we simply couldn’t do this type of work without the tireless leadership of our local chapters. We are grateful for your partnership, local connections, and ability to uncover solutions that matter most to your communities. 

We look forward to sharing updates with the field, as we learn and grow together. 

 Melissa Milios Davis is Press Forward’s Network Manager.