To secure Press Forward funding, think big and think collaboratively
As funding comes in 2024, ready your best pitch while identifying partners, stakeholders and local funders
Ever since Press Forward was officially announced on Sept. 7—and, frankly, even before, since its existence was far from secret—I’ve gotten hundreds of emails, messages and calls asking essentially the same question: “What is it we should be doing to best engage with Press Forward?”
Some of those asking are seeking more tactical advice about who to reach out to, when to apply, how decisions will be made, etc. Others are asking more strategic questions, such as which subject areas applications should be focused on. A few are asking what kind of projects we are looking to fund so they might be able to turn around a related proposal.
Whatever approach and related questions have come our way, Knight has been happy to answer. But I’ve noticed an underlying theme in these messages, and it seems to be FOMO—or, in less digital-era terms, a concern about being left out by Press Forward. To anyone feeling that way, I would simply say: The best way not to be forgotten is to bring ideas to the table that are too good to be forgotten.
Press Forward was organized with the idea that local news needs bold, creative and transformative ideas to strengthen local newsrooms, close longstanding inequities in journalism, fill the missing gaps in news infrastructure, and develop public policy that can benefit local news businesses. There is already a lot of terrific work being done to address these issues. We know this because we are talking to many of you – and have been for years. That said, I would urge those seeking funding not to wait for philanthropy to come calling.
This does not mean that everyone needs to rush head-first to submit proposals. Press Forward is a five-year program and the money is budgeted accordingly. A strong, transformative proposal delivered later is far preferable to a weaker one delivered sooner. Also, most Press Forward funders won’t come online until 2024, so there’s time before the action will really begin.
Press Forward funders will use the next few months to finalize and communicate the details about how the funding process will work. While that happens, I’d encourage organizations interested in Press Forward funding—be they publishers, broadcasters, industry organizations, academia or anyone else—to spend time developing ideas, identifying potential stakeholders and partners, and thinking about how your idea might help secure a sustainable future for local journalism.
Other news around the horn…
Research
🗞️ Americans still prefer local news sources. Even though many local news outlets are struggling to survive, 29 percent of Americans still cite a local newsroom as one of their preferred news sources. A new report from the Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media at the University of North Carolina analyzed survey data from Gallup and Knight Foundation’s Trust, Media and Democracy initiative. The report found that newspapers and local TV stations are the most commonly named news source for local news consumers, who are less likely to get news from partisan media. These local news users tend to consume news more frequently, and are more likely to attend a protest or donate to a cause in response to political debates on social media. “These findings reinforce the need to focus efforts not only on attracting new local news consumers, but to also consider how to better serve existing audiences,” the researchers concluded.
👎🏽 Black Americans critical of news coverage. A new report from Pew Research Center confirms an overarching concern that was spotlighted during the George Floyd protests: Black Americans believe that Black people are covered more negatively in the news than other racial groups. Plus, majorities of Blacks say that the news only covers certain segments of Black communities, while missing important information, and 43 percent say coverage largely stereotypes Black people. “There’s not a lot of African American coverage unless it’s February or it’s criminal,” one Black respondent told Pew. As for solutions, 76 percent believe journalists should cover “all sides of an issue,” while 73 percent believe journalists need to understand the history of the issues they’re covering. Plus, 59 percent believe journalists need to “personally engage with the people they cover.”
Investments
👭🏾 Open letter asks Press Forward to prioritize equity. Amid the excitement and anticipation surrounding Press Forward, there is also concern that this ambitious initiative will continue to support a system that has not been supportive of communities of color. An open letter from the Online News Association, Maynard Institute, Asian American Journalists Association, Indigenous Journalists Association, National Association of Black Journalists and National Association of Hispanic Journalists called for an “equitable distribution of resources and opportunities” to ensure that underrepresented voices are heard and elevated. They cite a recent study of publishers of color from the National Trust for Local News, with 53 percent saying they would go out of business in five years if current revenue trends persist. “If philanthropy is not intentional about addressing historical funding inequities and the processes by which they persist, it is complicit in the harm they inflict,” they warn.
💰API funds civil discourse, digital transformation. With the U.S. elections coming up in 2024, it’s a good time for newsrooms to engage communities to better understand the issues they face. The American Press Institute (API) is helping 17 newsrooms make that a reality, with grants up to $10,000 to help them convene events or try new types of coverage to engage communities in civil discourse. Plus, newsrooms will get peer support and share their lessons to the wider community of publishers. Still in a giving mood, the API also awarded two $25,000 grants to the Keene Sentinel and National Trust for Local News (NTLN) in support of digital transformation projects after the Beyond Print Convening. The Sentinel will enhance its e-edition and transition print subscribers to digital products, while NTLN will support a bilingual newsletter in Commerce City, Colo., to boost civic engagement.
Launches
💡 Small nonprofit newsrooms launch new alliance. As local nonprofit news grows, many smaller nonprofits are worried that the most attention—and funding—will continue to go to larger players, leaving them to fight over scraps. That’s the inspiration behind the new Alliance of Nonprofit News Outlets (ANNO), with 19 member newsrooms across the country. The group is tired of being overlooked by national, regional and local foundations, especially with Press Forward offering ambitious funding. “We have already encouraged key players to see to it that a significant chunk of the money on offer is given directly to the smaller news outlets that make up the bulk of the nonprofit news sector in America,” ANNO founding member Jason Pramas told the Boston Globe. How scrappy is ANNO? According to its Founding Document, “ANNO has no dues, no staff, no board, and no office—only the shared infrastructure needed to expedite constant communication between its members.”
⚡Atlanta paper aims for 500K digital subscribers. Can struggling metro newspapers reinvent themselves as regional powerhouses? The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) is betting big on such a transformation. Its owner Cox Enterprises is investing $100 million to launch a campaign to boost AJC’s digital subscribers eightfold to 500,000 by the end of 2026, according to a story in the Wall Street Journal. The effort is being led by AJC president and publisher Andrew Morse, formerly of CNN and Bloomberg. Morse told the Journal that AJC planned to hire 100 people in the coming years and place editorial staff in Macon, Savannah, Columbus, Augusta and Athens, where local coverage has waned. They also plan to add digital products dedicated to sports, Black culture, cooking and politics, including audio and video. Morse said AJC will continue to be printed daily, but that “the print paper has become a secondary consideration.”
Jobs
Executive Director, City Bureau. Learn more here.
Director of Development & Operations, Rebuild Local News. Learn more here. Apply by October 23.
Membership Director, LION Publishers. Learn more here.
Program Coordinator, Oklahoma Media Center. Learn more here.
Director, Local News, MacArthur Foundation. Learn more here.
Program Officer, Local News, MacArthur Foundation. Learn more here.
Associate Director, North Carolina Local News Lab Fund. Learn more here.
Trainings
ProJourn Legal Workshops for Journalists and News Organizations in Spanish
Online and free
November 1 at 1 pm ET on pre-publication review
November 15 at 1 pm ET on access and transparency
How to Start or Fund a Collaborative, from Solutions Journalism Network
Online and free
October 25 at noon ET
Upcoming Events 📅
Minneapolis
Oct 17–18
Trust Conference from Thomson Reuters Foundation
London
October 19-20
New Jersey Ethnic + Community Media Summit
Atlantic City, N.J.
November 10
Reimagining Journalism Summit from Lenfest Institute
Philadelphia
November 13–14
January 9–12, 2024
Las Vegas
Quote of the Week
“If you want to see what's working in local news, go to a LOCAL conference of journalists. And if you want to see a model of what collaboration between journalists, community and philanthropy can look like, go to Colorado.”
—Frank Mungeam, Local News Association, in a tweet referring to his takeaways from a Colorado Press Association event.
News @ Knight Credits
Written by Jim Brady, with Mark Glaser
Edited by Jim Brady, Jessica Clark and Kara Pickman