Closing the Local News Gap: How Funders Are Expanding Community Access to Trusted Information Through Press Forward Washington
Press Forward is a national initiative to strengthen local news and close gaps in journalism through the collective efforts of a nationwide network of funders, looking to engage their respective communities. Mauri Ingram, president and chief executive officer at Whatcom Community Foundation (WCF), and Megan Sukys, the chief strategy and communications officer at the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation (GTCF), sit on the council of Press Forward Washington.
Both Mauri and Megan believe in the power of local news as a key part of community living that was forgotten with the rise of the internet, then underfunded due to siloed funding sources. “The business model for news shifted with the internet. When I was first working in media, publishing a newspaper was often referred to as ‘printing money’ because the paper was often the main source of local advertising. As media shifted online, though, all those profits moved away from local news,” Megan says. “The advertising moved to social media or national news, so to provide news, to have that civic infrastructure, the accountability of civic officials, the kind of stories that build communities, there’s not currently a business model for it. That’s what Press Forward is about. We’re looking to catalyze business models for the kind of local news and information that drives community.”
Driving community for Press Forward comes through three main avenues:
- Pooled Funding,
- Aligned Grantmaking and
- Press Forward Local Chapters, like Press Forward Washington, that are funder-led chapters working in their communities to guarantee access to reliable and accurate local news.
Mauri explains how Press Forward Washington partners with local communities and foundations to advance its mission, and the necessary role community foundations play in that work.
“The Washington State News Alliance is a group with journalism experience, and many of them have been working with the national Press Forward movement in a variety of ways. Because they already have relationships in the local news and information industry, they’re building out that network. We're fortunate because Megan has a background in this field but, of course, we’re looking for folks who are doing this work on a daily basis now and what the needs are,” Mauri says. “I look at the Alliance as a sister organization to Press Forward Washington. They’re our eyes and ears on the ground that help us understand challenges and opportunities. Our primary job is to raise awareness of the importance of local news, raise resources, then identify areas in Washington’s local news industry where we can invest, including developing new business models, so that we can make more and better investments to strengthen the local news sector across Washington.”
Our primary job is to raise awareness of the importance of local news, raise resources, then identify areas in Washington’s local news industry where we can invest, including developing new business models, so that we can make more and better investments to strengthen the local news sector across Washington.
Mauri
Because access to quality local news is so fundamental to community connection, Mauri and Megan believe that foundations invested in local journalism are also investing in all aspects of their community, especially in rural areas where news access is even more critical. “A huge part of the work that’s done in our community is through partnership, collaboration, coming together and saying if this is an issue, how does it stack with other pieces,” Megan says. “That’s where local news comes in. It supports that shared narrative and is a critical tool for the community work that foundations fund.”
“I’d say it matters even more because rural communities are often more removed from national-level dialogue and funding,” Mauri says. “Part of what’s great about having partner organizations statewide is we can all talk and figure out who to reach out to, who we should send a grant opportunity to, who we should send funds to if we hear about a media outlet in trouble. Accurate local news and information is truly a lifeline.”
Some community foundations may hesitate to join initiatives like Press Forward because news, especially when it touches on civic issues, can spark tension within communities. However, Megan and Mauri believe the reward outweighs the risk, and supporting this work actually fosters community relationships.
Research shows that where there is strong local news, there is more connection. Having a platform where voices are heard and issues discussed, especially locally, that’s where you find connection.
Megan
“Research shows that where there is strong local news, there is more connection. Having a platform where voices are heard and issues discussed, especially locally, that’s where you find connection,” Megan says. “When you get to the local news level, ballot issues, real estate concerns, sports news, that’s where, even if there’s disagreement, journalism becomes the platform for building connections. When we talk about news, separate it from the national news that has a totally different tone.”
Ultimately, local news is transformative to communities and touches every aspect of community foundations’ work. “No matter your funding area, this issue is relevant to you and the communities you care about,” Mauri says. “As Megan said, we’re interested in making this reach state-wide, and I hope people will be heartened that we’re leveraging the skills, relationships and resources statewide for the benefit of communities across Washington. And I hope others will join us in that effort.”
Foundations interested in learning more about Press Forward Washington can contact the Founding Director Kaarin Austin.
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