Press Forward

Michael Murray of Arthur Vining Davis Foundations speaking at the 2025 Press Forward Summit (Photo by Press Forward) When Press Forward launched, public media sat at the edges of the local journalism conversation, being familiar, trusted and yet poorly understood.

Roughly 200 Report for America corps members attend the group’s National Gathering in Minneapolis in July 2024. (Photo by Gladi Suero / Report for America) Press Forward’s network of funders has invested more than $400 million in local news in the two years since its launch, and you might see this impact in your community if you get news from outlets such as Montana Free Press, Fort Worth Report or Mission Local in San Francisco.

Press Forward’s grants to newsrooms to close coverage gaps were transformational for many small newsrooms nationwide. But to make sure these outlets were prepared for the long haul, Press Forward organized a range of support services, including partnering with the Maynard Institute to create a six-month initiative.

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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 tough sell — especially for funders who have never supported local news.

Cadiz resident Stacey Greer tests the pH and other aspects of her tap water. Photo by Julie Grant / The Allegheny Front 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.

Melissa Newman of Press Forward Blue Grass and Mark Royse of MediaLex recording the DoGood Radio Hour podcast (Photo by Kasey Ogle Photography) 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.

MDRNet launched ahead of the Knight Media Forum. Pictured are (left to right): José Zamora, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ); Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald; Luisa Ortiz Pérez, Vita Activa; Tre’vell Anderson, Trans Journalists Association (TJA); Samantha Ragland, American Press Institute (API) and César Miguel Rondón, En Conexión. Photo by Natalia Algarín.

Impact snapshot from a Press Forward grantee newsroom Deirdre Conner, publisher and CEO of The Florida Trib 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 partner news organizations.

URL Media’s S. Mitra Kalita, center, talks on a panel about Catalytic Capital. 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.