Congratulations!
$20 Million in funding to 205 Newsrooms
Open Call on Closing Local Coverage Gaps

Open Call Grantees

Emerging from 900+ applications, these 205 small newsrooms – all with budgets under $1 million – are addressing the longstanding inequalities in journalism coverage and practice across the United States. Motivated by the quality and number of proposals, Press Forward is funding twice as many local newsrooms as initially anticipated, for a total of $20 million.

These recipients are a bright mosaic of independent, nonpartisan sources—with a range of business models and audiences—reimagining what local news looks like across America. Some newsrooms are reporting on the vast American countryside—where they are often the only news source for hundreds of miles—while additional outlets are covering people of color and linguistically diverse communities that traditional news sources have overlooked.

Each produces the everyday stories people need to make decisions about their daily lives.

View the press release.

See a Searchable Database of Grantees

Wheatley High School students plan a video essay at a Shift Press workshop. Credit: Shift Press

Santa Cruz Local hosted community listening sessions to understand residents' priorities for the November 2024 election. Credit: Marcello Hutchinson-Trujillo/ Santa Cruz Local

Qcity Metro reporter Destiniee Jaram conducts an interview at the opening of a small business hub Credit: QCity Metro

Middle Georgia community members reading Notivision News, a bilingual newspaper. Credit: Notivision.

Jeff Lee, owner of Seoul Jangteo, with copies of The Boston Korea newspaper. Credit: Jonathan Wiggs/ Globe Staff

Reporters Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco of WNIJ and Erin Jordan of The Gazette co-report a story on carbon capture projects for the Mississippi Ag & Water Desk. Credit: Nick Rohlman, The Gazette

Wisconsin Watch investigative reporter Bennet Goldstein reports from the field for the Ag & Water Desk. Credit: Coburn Dukehart, Wisconsin Watch

Jean Hakuzimana interviews Titi de Baccarat for Amjambo Africa. Credit: Mark Mattos

L.A. Taco investigative reporter Lexis Oliver-Ray. Credit: Brian Feinzimer for L.A. TACO

Panelists at the Carolina Public Press Newsmakers forum on hunger and food insecurity discussed the issues contributing to food insecurity. Credit: Matt Rose/Carolina Public Press.

Hola Carolina’s Adriana Chavela in the studio for the community connection podcast and radio show #CommunityVibes. Credit: Hola Carolina.

Executive Editor Marisol Cortez being interviewed about Deceleration’s heat work. Credit: Greg Harman

Cicero Independiente Editor Luis Velazquez sorts bilingual print editions for distribution. Credit: April Alonso for Cicero Independiente

News for Chinese radio host interviews a local food bank manager. Credit: Brian Ho

A Boyle Heights Beat youth news reporter conducts interviews before a Candidate Forum Resource Fair. Credit: Andrew Lopez

BLCK Press Founder Georgia Fort covers the "Mother's March" where more than 100 moms from across the country whose children were killed by police came to Minnesota to march after George Floyd's murder. Credit: Uzoma Obasi.

Talon Marks staff writer Edward Fernandez questions a Cerritos College student on a new plastic ban on campus. Credit: Ryan Sumida

Meet the Grantees

“These funding recipients are proof that we are seeing a moment of transformation, where new and enduring leaders are stepping up to create a new story for local news,” — Dale R. Anglin, Director, Press Forward

See a searchable database of recipients.

Hola Carolina

An online news site and radio program, Hola Carolina has been bringing critical news and information to Spanish speakers in Western North Carolina since Hurricane Helene struck. Hola Carolina’s updates are running hourly on the radio, while the team itself recovers from the storm’s effects.

Black Iowa News

Black Iowa News, which launched during COVID to help Black Iowans survive a virus that disproportionately harmed them. The publication now covers the community year-round, with founder Dana James personally delivering the print edition throughout the state.

Ouray County Plaindealer

The Ouray County Plaindealer weekly newspaper in Colorado covers a community of 5,000 people. The husband-and-wife team’s reporting on the former elected sheriff’s arrest and troubles led to 93% of voters removing him from office in the county’s first recall election. The outlet was also awarded the “Friend of Freedom” award for their continued work for government transparency.

Isaiah Buse, owner/editor, at his desk in Houston, Missouri. Image: Steve Pokin / Springfield Daily Citizen

Houston Herald

The Houston Herald (Missouri), a weekly newspaper founded in 1878 with a circulation of slightly over 4,000. Owner Isaiah Buse graduated from college and bought the paper where he had interned in the same year. Now two years later, in 2024, the Houston Herald won 11 awards from the state press association.

Youth organizers discuss the impact of local media at Shift Press' News For Us Conference. Credit: Shift Press

The Selection Process

Press Forward engaged 114 reviewers from the journalism and philanthropy communities to evaluate the applications and ensure a fair process. Their insights held the preponderance of weight in determining the final list of grantees.

Press Forward staff made the final funding decisions. Learn more about the process and read the list of reviewers on our blog.

Save the Date

Our next open call on Local News Infrastructure will open for applications on Nov. 13, 2024 here.

Congratulations! $20 Million in funding to 205 Newsrooms Open Call on Closing Local Coverage Gaps