Funding Local Nonprofit Journalism: A High Impact Investment for Thriving Communities

Local news is in crisis. In the past 15 years, roughly 1,800 communities lost their newspapers and now have no local news outlet. Thousands of additional communities are just getting by with “ghost newspapers” that fail to provide adequate civic news. Residents are left without the critical information they need to make decisions for themselves and their families. The consequences are dire. Misinformation, disinformation, and falsehoods are filling that gap. One positive force combating these trends: the growth of local nonprofit news organizations. So, what can philanthropy do to serve the information needs of their communities and which investments will lead to the greatest impacts?

In this webinar recorded on January 6, 2021, hear from leaders in the nonprofit news sector describe why nonprofit, nonpartisan, and independent local news organizations are vital pillars of civic engagement within communities; offer concrete action steps for what individual and institutional philanthropists to promote informed communities at home; explain the differences between commercial and nonprofit news organizations and outline the outsized impact their organizations are having in their states; and share how one community foundation is exploring investments in nonprofit news.