The argument for local news has long been rooted in crisis: communities need reliable information to function, and the organizations providing that information need financial support to survive. But in practice, that case doesn’t always land. The connection between thriving communities and reliable news can feel abstract, and focusing on the industry’s decline often leaves people feeling overwhelmed. It’s a … Read More
Local News Day — marked for the first time on April 9, 2026 — is a day of action, with the goal of reconnecting people nationwide with the trusted local newsrooms that serve their communities. It’s also a day of celebration honoring the reporters and editors that cover stories you won’t find anywhere else. In honor of the day, we’re … Read More
A new partnership between Press Forward Blue Grass and Report for America is betting that the future of rural journalism lies not in recruiting outsiders, but in equipping local residents with the skills to report on their own communities. Report for America has traditionally recruited early career journalists to become reporter “corps members” who are placed in newsrooms around the … Read More
The Media Resilience Network (MDRNet) is a newly launched initiative from Vita Activa designed to provide free, confidential mental health and peer support to journalists, especially those from underrepresented communities and newsrooms under strain. Offering one-on-one peer support, culturally attuned coaching and counseling, crisis and harm reduction services, and tailored “Task Force” assistance for local newsrooms, MDRNet (nicknamed “MotherNet”) aims … Read More
Impact snapshot from a Press Forward grantee newsroom Who: Deirdre Conner, publisher and CEO of The Florida Trib Where: Based in Jacksonville, but covering the entire state of Florida, thanks to recent expansion. What: The Florida Trib, formerly known as The Tributary, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom founded in 2021 to fill critical news and information gaps in collaboration with … Read More
Case Study: Media Resilience Fund Increasing access to capital for community media enterprises. Partners: URL Media, National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), Rebuild Local News With special thanks to Andrew Nachison, a foundational advisor and early catalyst for the Media Resilience Fund. If you are a publisher interested in accessing the Media Resilience Fund please contact Garry Pierre-Pierre, Director of Partnerships … Read More
Case Study: Glen Nelson Center Investing in early-stage startups to drive public media innovation. Host Organization: American Public Media Group Context / Starting Conditions Glen Nelson Center was established by American Public Media Group (APMG) to formalize and scale the organization’s long-standing entrepreneurial culture and to support and scale innovation at APMG and throughout public media. Innovation at APMG had … Read More
By Christina Shih When we launched Press Forward, we believed the strongest path forward for local news had to start locally. That belief now spans 41 Press Forward Locals across 31 states — chapters bringing together funders and partners to support news and information in the places they call home. What’s emerging is more than growth. These chapters are taking … Read More
