Press Forward Stories
Insights and updates from Press Forward’s efforts to reinvigorate local news across the country.
100 Days in Appalachia was meant to be a pop-up publication. The newsroom planned to cover then-President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office through a nuanced and place-based lens. But on April 29, 2017 — day 100 of Trump’s presidency — newsroom staffers reported on a resurgent white supremacist rally in Pikeville, Kentucky, and plans changed. “That very day … Read More
As we approach the first anniversary of Press Forward’s launch, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate our progress with a new Interim Report. Press Forward’s launch was a call to action for more funders to join in and find ways to support the local news that strengthens our communities. We’re thrilled the call was heeded, that more money … Read More
At our recent Information Session, Press Forward and its partners shared a range of insights into our Open Call on Closing Local Coverage Gaps, which is offering small news outlets funding for addressing historic inequities in news coverage across the United States. Below are a few top tips they shared on applying. Feel free to pour a cup of coffee … Read More
If your local news initiative doesn’t meet the criteria for an open call, the organization can still get its mission in front of funders by creating a Press Forward profile on our grantmaking platform JustFund.
When I was in Miami for Knight Media Forum 2024 to announce our role leading Press Forward North Carolina alongside Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, I celebrated the opportunity to share what’s happening in North Carolina.
Christina Shih began her journalism career building out the membership program at the Voice of San Diego, one of the country’s first digital nonprofit newsrooms.
If this blog post were a text or WhatsApp message, it would be short, sweet and to the point. It may be written in a different language. It may include emojis or a prompt to respond. It would help the recipient make better-informed decisions. Delivering news and information through text-messaging systems or platforms like WhatsApp might sound unusual, but it’s … Read More
This week is my first as Press Forward’s director, a challenge I’m thrilled to take on. As I am settling in, I have been learning the finer details about Press Forward and wanted to share some perspective and a bit about where we are headed. First, thank you for being patient as Press Forward has worked over the past six … Read More
Dale R. Anglin grew up in a family of news junkies. If the Chicago Sun-Times wasn’t delivered punctually to their home on Chicago’s South Side, her mom wasn’t happy. Yet at the same time, Anglin realized the news her family needed wasn’t just delivered in that newspaper. Every Sunday, her grandmother insisted on reading her church’s news bulletin. “She had … Read More
Getting access to local news and information can be challenging in Alaska, where most of the state’s 350 communities are not connected by roads. So in 2019, the Atwood Foundation, which has deep roots in local news, partnered with the local community foundation to create the Alaska Center for Excellence in Journalism. Its mission is to fund in-depth reporting projects … Read More
Crossposted from McKnight Foundation’s blog. Journalism is a force that has always been deeply intertwined with my life, beginning when I observed my father faithfully poring over the daily edition of the Star Tribune. As I progressed to high school, I was featured in the Bloomington Sun Current, which was covering our high school baseball games. The sheer pride of … Read More