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Jessica,
Thank you for signing up for Press Forward updates, and for your curiosity, interest and good questions. We’ve heard from newsrooms eager for more details, and wanted to send an update on our work.
Press Forward’s September announcement sought to raise national attention about the importance of local news and information, and to encourage more funders to join us. As a result, dozens of donors from across the country reached out, eager to begin or expand their giving to journalism. A big win for the field.
Because making local news sustainable will require substantial, additional investments, fundraising is our top priority for now. That may sound counter-intuitive, coming from a group of foundations, and even frustrating. However, as many news organizations know too well, it takes time and a series of conversations to raise money from new donors.
We are also sensitive to the challenging financial situation many news organizations find themselves in. Coalition members with existing journalism programs have continued grantmaking without pause. For now, grantseekers should continue to work with individual funders as they normally would. The first opportunity to engage with Press Forward will happen in 2024, when we share grant guidelines for the pooled fund. (More on that below.)
While we’re thrilled by the early support, we are paying close attention to reactions, from public media stations, journalism affinity groups, and others. Addressing long standing inequities in coverage is a top priority for Press Forward. It’s one of our core values and funding priorities. We’re committed to being transparent about how the coalition invests its funds.
Thank you for your patience as we grow.
Press Forward is a national call to action. It will take local support and funding to reimagine local news long-term. We look forward to continuing to build this movement in partnership with you.
- The Press Forward Coalition
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