A group of 22 foundations and journalism groups has announced a five-year, $500 million commitment to boost local news reporting, reduce systematic inequalities within US journalism coverage and practice, and bolster trust in US institutions. 

The Press Forward initiative aims to strengthen communities by reversing the dramatic decline in local journalism and news reporting that has coincided with an increasingly divided America and weakening trust in institutions.  

According to the MacArthur Foundation, a partner of the initiative, approximately 2,200 local newspapers have closed since 2005, resulting in 20 per cent of Americans living in so-called “news deserts”, with little to no reliable coverage of important local events. 

“We have a moment to support the reimagination, revitalisation, and rapid development of local news. We are prepared to support the strongest ideas and seed new ones; build powerful networks; and invest in people, organisations, and networks with substantial resources,” said John Palfrey, president of the MacArthur Foundation.  

“The philanthropic sector recognises the need to strengthen American democracy and is beginning to see that progress on every other issue, from education and healthcare to criminal justice reform and climate change, is dependent on the public’s understanding of the facts.” 

Press Forward says it is independent of political ideologies and plans to work with More Perfect, a bipartisan initiative that is advancing five interrelated democracy goals, one of which is access to trusted news and information.  

John Bridgeland, CEO of More Perfect, a campaign group hoping championing democratic renewal, described the coalition as “an audacious effort to fortify a key pillar of American democracy” with independent press.  

“Local news provides critical information, knits communities together, and keeps public officials accountable, all of which are essential to a thriving democracy,” he added.  

The US initiative is in stark contrast to Europe. In recent years, policymakers, investors, and funders have often had “warm words to say about the value of independent journalism” but little “cold, hard cash or meaningful policies, in a world of growing crises”, said Sameer Padania, strategic consultant at Macroscope, in October last year.  

In a blog published by Philea and reshared by Alliance, Padania warned that independent journalism needs more funding. 

“It seems that the threats to democracy, and the recent series of ever more extreme societal and planetary crises we face, have helped them see more clearly the pivotal, central role that independent public interest media play in keeping our societies, democracies and economies open. And what’s even more encouraging is to see the positive talk backed up with concrete measures and actions. Because independent journalism needs this support more than ever,” he said.  

Press Forward’s partners include the Ford Foundation, Heising-Simons Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, among others.

The Miami Foundation will serve as the fiscal sponsor for Press Forward, manage a pooled fund, and coordinate aligned grant making on behalf of participating funders. 

Shafi Musaddique is news editor at Alliance magazine.