The first-ever venture philanthropy dedicated to #localnews. We invest in + build nonprofit newsrooms that are sustained by and look like the people they serve.

A community isn’t just geography. It’s a shared reality. #Localnews helps people ask questions, connect and take action. This is a story of rebuilding civic life, one newsroom at a time.
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We're excited to announce our first round of grants with $8.5m to support 11 civic news organizations around the country: @berkeleyside @cpipr @city_bureau @CTMirror @inewsource @MSTODAYnews @MLK50Memphis @noiseomaha @Underscorenews @vtdigger @WyoFile nyti.ms/2Puwhix
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We're partnering with a coalition of Cleveland-based organizations on an exciting new initiative to ensure every resident of Ohio has the local news they need... and we're hiring a founding team! Learn more and apply here: localnewsforohio.org
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🗞️Ohio Local News Initiative + @MarshallProj are joining forces to fund a new community reporting collaboration. Local journalist Rachel Dissell is joining the Initiative + will contribute to reporting + #communityengagement efforts of both newsrooms. bit.ly/3uZmqGU
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The @nytimes is continuing the coverage of an important story coming out of Mississippi, made possible by the in-depth reporting done by the great folks at @MSTODAYnews nytimes.com/2022/09/22/us/br…
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NEW: Cleveland’s Lila Mills has been named as Editor in Chief of the Ohio Local News Initiative’s first newsroom. Currently associate director at @NeighborUpCle, Mills will combine her journalism & community-building background for this role. More: bit.ly/3rCsL9G.
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🗣️Excited to announce new American Journalism Project grantees @documentedny @mtfreepress @beacon_news. They join an exemplary portfolio of nonprofit newsrooms informing and empowering communities around the country. 👏👏👏 Read More Here --> link.medium.com/V8msM2esicb
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An important opportunity for the local news movement! This new wave of philanthropic funding is poised to accelerate the progress underway toward rebuilding a sustainable local news field that serves communities and our democracy. nytimes.com/2023/09/07/busin…
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We’re excited to launch a new incubator program, with support from @GoogleNewsInit. Individuals and pairs with outstanding ideas for a new, community-driven local news organization can apply for this 18-month incubator. (🧵🔽) theajp.org/incubator
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#Salute to female leaders informing and empowering their communities with good journalism. Thank you @carlaminetpr @cpipr for all that you do! 🎉Let's #celebratewomen together!🎉
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Today we're launching a major effort to reinvigorate local news with $42M in founding commitments. Here's how we stand ready to work collaboratively in catalyzing a new generation of civic news organizations. goo.gl/g5SzNs
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And we're thrilled to be helping the amazing team of @Kenwardjr and @gregmoorewv get their "not-yet-named new outlet" off the ground in West Virginia as a nonprofit, alongside @propublica and @report4america nytimes.com/2020/03/29/busin…
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#Salute to the dynamic female leaders improving their communities through good journalism. This deserves a round of applause everyday! Thank you for all that you do, @bechang8 👏👏👏@city_bureau 👏👏👏 Let’s #celebratewomen together! #WomensHistoryMonth #LocalNews #Chicago
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🔊NEW: The American Journalism Project is partnering with @OpenAI on an effort to use AI to support a thriving local news field. More about our partnership, how it will support local news nonprofits, and why now is the time to experiment with AI tools for local news: 🧵
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Excited to announce our new CEO, @SarabethBerman! Get to know Sarabeth and read the announcement here: link.medium.com/ElC537HvJ5
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🗞️ Lawrence Caswell + Mark Naymik are joining the Ohio Local News Initiative as managing editors of the Cleveland newsroom. Together, they'll help steward a vision to center community info needs. More on their roles + 10 open positions: bit.ly/3ayFTHq
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🎉Congratulations to @oaklandside for winning the 2020 Excellence in Journalism award from @spj_tweets NoCal! The Oaklandside wins award for excellence in community journalism oaklandside.org/2021/02/03/t…
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We are thankful for @knightfdn's commitment to the American Journalism Project, which will provide transformative grants and support to local, nonprofit civic news organizations to ensure their long-term sustainability. #lovelocalnews
NEWS: Knight is making a new, $300 million commitment to strengthen journalism, with a focus on building the future of local news, a cornerstone of democracy. We want you to join us. Learn more + get involved at kf.org/localnews #lovelocalnews
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$3.15M for #nonprofitnews! 🗞️ 🎉 We're proud to announce AJP has awarded new grants to @IndianCountry, @veritenewsnola + @THECITYNY. Each org will use our support to advance their work to reach people who need access to #localnews. bit.ly/3v0zPid #localnewsmatters
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Exciting updates today in nonprofit news: Free Press Indiana and Signal Ohio announced the launch of two new newsrooms serving Indianapolis and Akron. Be sure to follow @mirrorindy and @SignalAkron for more.
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Congrats to @JournalismProj newest grantees! We’re proud to welcome @CapitalBNews, @Chalkbeat, @IndianCountry, @MarshallProj + @opencampusmedia to our portfolio. Excited to start our work together! Read our announcement for all the details: ow.ly/qcbg50GGbws
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We're thrilled to share that @indy_localnews has hired @oseyetboyd as editor-in-chief for the Central Indiana newsroom! Boyd, an accomplished journalist with deep ties to communities in Indianapolis, will lead key hires and help drive this next stage. localnewsforindiana.org/post…
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Across the country, public media outlets are stepping in to fill holes left by shrinking metro dailies. A new study by @TowCenter explores how public media's growing strength is shaping local journalism. medium.com/tow-center/the-gr…
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Community listening is an essential step to ensuring local news accurately meets readers’ information needs. Here’s what we learned from surveying 5,000 people in eight communities across the country. bit.ly/45rKTpa
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Founded by @elizwgreen and @thorntonaustin, we are the first venture philanthropy organization dedicated to strengthening an ecosystem of civic news organizations that believe local #journalism a public good. goo.gl/g5SzNs
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Nonprofit newsrooms all over the country are getting more reporting thanks to @report4america. Meet the newest Corps Members: reportforamerica.org/members…
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We’re thrilled to introduce the four teams who will participate in the local news incubator, launched with support from @GoogleNewsInit. Representing regions across the country, these teams have compelling ideas for filling a local news gap in their communities. Learn more: 🧵🔽
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Big News Day in Journalism! We are excited about the announcement of Capital B (capitalbnews.org), a vital non profit news outlet founded by two Black journalists: the phenomenal @KO_616 and @laurenwilliams. We are honored to support their vision
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We’re excited to announce the Indiana Local News Initiative! This project, powered by a coalition of organizations based in Indiana, aims to ensure high quality local news is accessible to communities across the state. (🧵🔻) localnewsforindiana.org/post…
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🔊Announcing our newest board member, @jelani9! Jelani Cobb brings extensive journalism and education experience, and will help advance our vision for the future of nonprofit local news. Learn more about his work and what he’ll bring to our team. theajp.org/news-insights/ann…
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Excited to announce that we're partnering w/ @HoustonEndowmnt, Kinder Foundation + @Arnold_Ventures to launch a new independent newsroom in Houston that will serve as one of the largest nonprofit newsrooms in the country. Learn more: localnewsforhouston.org #localnewsmatters
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.@BlockClubCHI’s thorough coverage of the #Chicago mayoral race offered in-depth reporting on a historical local election at no cost to readers. More on its coverage and analysis of the mayoral + local ward races ⬇️
BREAKING: Brandon Johnson has won the Chicago's mayor's race. blockclubchicago.org/2023/04…
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🚨 Time for #JournalismJobs + #NonprofitJobs updates! We’re hiring, and so are our grantees. Follow along here as we highlight some opportunities to work with us and our nonprofit local news partners. 🧵
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NEW: Community engagement programs are a powerful tool for local orgs. Our new guide helps news organizations, place-based foundations + local leaders develop their own community ambassador programs to help rebuild #localnews. @fionamorgan shares more. bit.ly/3jrMO6l
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🎉The @BorealisPhil Racial Equity in Journalism Fund introduces its second cohort of grantees! "These 28 incredible news organizations led by and serving people of color play a critical role informing + supporting full civic participation" bit.ly/3yA5TcI
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We're #hiring and so are the local news nonprofits in our portfolio - both at the #startup and more established stages, and across departments, roles and cities! Check out all the #JournalismJob opportunities in our community on our website. theajp.org/about/work-with-u…
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READ: “As local newspapers disappear, citizens increasingly rely on national sources of political info, which emphasizes competition and conflict between the parties. Local newspapers, by contrast, serve as a central source of shared info, setting a common agenda. “ @knightfdn
As local newspapers disappear, political partisanship rises, says new research from @matthewhitt, @joshuadarr and @jldhouston. Why America needs a #localnews comeback: kf.org/2V5faFL, via @sciam #lovelocalnews
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A wave of local, nonprofit news is on the rise, and could play a key role in fighting disinformation in the U.S. At a speech yesterday to @FSIStanford, @BarackObama shared how this new journalism model could provide essential coverage in communities. 🧵
Very cool to hear former President ⁦@BarackObama⁩ cite the ⁦@BaltimoreBanner⁩ in a speech today as part of an encouraging trend of nonprofit newsrooms starting up across the country.
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Congratulations to AJP grantees @BlockClubCHI, @mtfreepress, @media_outlier, @vtdigger and @WisconsinWatch for receiving #LIONAwards2023. These awards honor excellence and transformational impact in reporting. #LocalNewsMatters lionpublishers.com/meet-the-…
🦁🏆 The 5th annual #LIONAwards23 is officially underway! Stay tuned for real-time updates and announcements. We have 37 awards to give out tonight (and each one comes with at least $1,300 cash)!
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Today, we welcomed over 150 people from the AJP community to our annual gathering: our grantees, staff, board, advisors, supporters and more. This year, we’re convening in Cleveland to share the important local news innovation happening in Cleveland and across the country.
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Today the @nytimes shared a new way for its readers to find and support local news organizations, in partnership with @INN @LIONPubs and others. It takes a movement to build the local news our democracy deserves, and this is a great step forward. nytimes.com/interactive/2020…
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Tomorrow, we launch Mountain State Spotlight, a new public service newsroom for West Virginia. We're excited and we couldn't have done this without your support. Sign up for our newsletter to keep up with our stories: buff.ly/33AhDNT
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.@knightfdn announces a $5M investment in Signal Akron, a new nonprofit news source in Ohio. We are thrilled to join the #Akron philanthropic community to improve local news in the city. localnewsforohio.org/updates… @SignalCleveland #KMF23
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📹We saw and applauded @StormLakeMovie. It is a wonderful "love letter to local journalism" that @THR calls"an elegiac heartland portrait...colored by the hope of endurance, both for the newspaper and the community it represents." @cullen_art @SLTimes hollywoodreporter.com/movies…
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📰@mirrorindy, the newsroom backed by Free Press Indiana, launches with a 20-person staff serving Indianapolis with the community-centered local news residents say they want most. Learn more about the news organization, and the inspiration for its name. localnewsforindiana.org/post…
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“The Harris County District Clerk acknowledged that it uncovered about 100 appeals of criminal defendants who said they were unlawfully incarcerated.” @Hou_Landing has more on some of the defendants affected by this years long backlog. houstonlanding.org/appalling…
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If you're a journalism professional or journalism-focused entrepreneur interested in launching a nonprofit local news outlet driven by community representation, we want to hear from you! Apply for our local news incubator by 2/15. #JournalismJobs #Startup theajp.org/incubator/
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Congrats to one of the incredible newsrooms we have the honor to support! This is why we do it! @vtdigger! #LIONAwards20 🏆Technology Innovation Award 🏆Best Visual Journalism Project (Large Newsroom) 🏆Best Business Idea 🏆Coronavirus Coverage of the Year (Large Newsroom)
Replying to @LIONPubs
Congrats again @vtdigger on winning the Technology Innovation Award! 👩‍💻Your Reader Services Platform will continue to benefit your community! 🙌
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We need to think of local news as fundamentally civic rather than commercial in nature.
Replying to @Report4America
From the piece: "We believe people have an obligation to support libraries and symphonies. Now they have to support good accountability reporting."
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The Indiana Local News Initiative is now Mirror Indy, a part of Free Press Indiana! Today's newsletter from editor-in-chief, @oseyetboyd, has more on the significance of of the names. Be sure to follow @mirrorindy for more updates on local news in the Hoosier state.
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NEW: Our 2022 Impact Report is the first comprehensive look at the impact of our work since we made our first grants in December 2019. AJP’s @SarabethBerman shares more about the report and our findings. THREAD (1/5) ow.ly/GYYE50ItRBh
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In @CapitalBNews' newsletter, reporter @AdamLMahoney highlights why representative journalism is essential to telling complete stories — in this case on critical issues like race and housing in Los Angeles. capitalbnews.org/anti-homele…
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Congratulations to @aliciacbell for becoming the new director of the Racial Equity in Journalism (REJ) Fund! Alicia will be helping to lead the next phase of REJ Fund’s amazing work investing in news orgs led by and for people of color. #congratulations #nonprofitnews
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✨"People want the kind of news that affects their day to day lives and breaks down how larger issues impact communities and blocks around the city...that's why we have become the primary source of news for many of our readers." @rhodes_dawn @BlockClubCHI #INNDays21 #LocalNews
Replying to @INN
How do you create news that works for your community? Starting now, hear from innovative news leaders @nissarhee, @rhodes_dawn and Jim Malewitz, who are creating solutions and building a more equitable and sustainable future for news. #INNDays21
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It’s time for another #jobs roundup! We have opportunities here at AJP – and there’s still time to apply for our local news incubator. There are also great opportunities to work in our community. Follow along for more. 🧵🚨🔽
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Congrats to @propublica, @reveal, and to all the local journalists who were named #Pulitzer winners and finalists. Your award-winning work covering local issues, exposing broken systems, and capturing unheard voices is vital to our democracy. bit.ly/2PeYgCq
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👏Congratulations to grantees @Kenwardjr (@mtnstspotlight) and @wendi_c_thomas (@MLK50Memphis) for being selected as inaugural members of the @propublica Distinguished Fellows program! ProPublica Selects Six Journalists for Distinguished Fellows Program propublica.org/atpropublica/…
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We're thrilled to see two of our grantees, @SahanJournal's @mukhtaryare and @MLK50Memphis's @wendi_c_thomas, receive this outstanding recognition. Congrats! 🎉
🎉 We are thrilled to announce the recipients of @rcfp's Freedom of the Press Awards for 2022: Williams & Connolly's Kevin T. Baine, @NYTmag's @AzmatZahra, @MLK50Memphis's @wendi_c_thomas, @pbsnewshour's @JudyWoodruff & @SahanJournal, led by @mukhtaryare. bit.ly/3tlPw2l
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When a local newspaper closes, municipal borrowing costs increase by 5 to 11 basis points, costing the municipality an additional $650,000 per bond issue. governing.com/topics/politic…
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.@MLK50Memphis is one of many local newsrooms whose coverage exposed government mis-spending and got results for taxpayers. @stevenwaldman highlights how funding local news provides a return on investment – both financially and societally. theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv…
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ICYMI: @Report4America announced that applications are now open for news organizations interested in partnering to host emerging + experienced journalists in their newsrooms for up to 3 years, beginning next summer. Learn more +sign up for an info session bit.ly/32dt9iS
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Our mission calls upon us not only to replace what has been lost, but also to imagine and create a better, more inclusive media in its place. medium.com/american-journali…
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Congratulations to the @MSTODAYnews team on this well-deserved recognition! Here’s why we’re encouraged by seeing remarkable local reporting gain national recognition. 🧵🔽 mississippitoday.org/2023/05…
Replying to @PulitzerPrizes
Congratulations to @ayewolfe and @MSTODAYnews. #Pulitzer
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🚨 We're #hiring, and so are the local news organizations in our portfolio! Check out AJP's open roles + explore journalism, tech, development and more opportunities in our network. #localnewsmatters theajp.org/about/work-with-u…
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Here’s more on how @flatwaterfreep’s dogged reporting uncovered a controversial trend in Seward County law enforcement. flatwaterfreepress.org/using…
Your @flatwaterfreep weekend read: Seward County deputies routinely pull over I-80 drivers, seize cash but then never convict drivers of crimes. Seward County, pop. 17,690, now accounts for 1/3 of all Nebraska cases of this type of civil asset forfeiture. flatwaterfreepress.org/using…
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Throughout the day, we heard from Cleveland local news leaders (@SignalCleveland), community documenters (@cledocumenters) – and @JudyWoodruff, who led a conversation with @susanchira and @lilajmills about local news on the rise in Cleveland. (2/2)
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In the midst of this crisis, we wanted to share our gratitude for @INN and the resources and support they are providing — a lifeline to nonprofit newsrooms all over the U.S. It all starts with a question: "What help do you need right now?" 💪 inn.org/covid-19-resources-f…
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This reporting is touching and humanizes a story that would have otherwise gone uncovered. Exceptional community journalism, we think! @berkeleyside
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📑 The state of local news and why it matters🧾 We've rounded up the latest independent research on the local news industry, funding for local news, local news + democracy, and local news + community wellbeing. Check it out. theajp.org/news-insights/the…
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We're excited to share news of @signalcleveland's official launch! This new newsroom brings community building together with local news reporting to serve communities across the city. All content will be free and available across formats. Check it out. go.signalcleveland.org/3O4Co…
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This story from @opencampusmedia, in partnership with @signalcleveland, brings together important themes about education, representation and belonging in the dual settings of a majority Black city and predominately white institution. via @amymorona opencampusmedia.org/2023/05/…
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✨"Local journalism is a tool that enables people to take informed action. This bipartisan legislation will provide vital economic support to an industry our democracy requires,” said @SarabethBerman, CEO, American Journalism Project. #LocalNewsMatters
BIG NEWS: Commerce Chair @SenatorCantwell, Finance Chair @RonWyden, and @SenMarkKelly introduce Local Journalism Sustainability Act to US Senate. Bill offers local news orgs support through tax credits to incentivize hiring, subscriptions and advertising. rebuildlocalnews.org/press-r…
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✳️@YawuMiller and @cm_martinez1 will build out a local news offering for communities of color in Greater Boston and across Massachusetts that covers issues including politics, public policy, community development, economic justice, criminal justice, race and social justice.
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Protecting local news outlets preserves democracy by keeping communities informed and holding power to account. We can only perform this essential role if we protect journalism jobs. Include the #LJSA tax credit in the #reconciliation bill. #SaveLocalNews #SaveTheNews
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Public service journalism has a home in #Wichita with the launch of @wichitabeacon! We're proud to be a part of your growth and can't wait to follow your progress! #congratulations
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The rise of "ghost newsrooms" has catalyzed local news startups to fill the void. We're proud to see our grantees, @Hou_Landing and @elpasomatters , featured in @alexbruell's story for @WSJ about local news meeting essential needs in communities. wsj.com/business/media/your-…
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When you find news that can't wait, you publish. So here's the first-ever story from our grantee @mtnstspotlight, by reporter @ameliaknisely in West Virginia
1/ Some West Virginia children are going hungry because of gaps in @govjustice's summer feeding program. Not all families can get to feeding sites, and schools don't have funding to pay for delivery. @ameliaknisely reports our first story: bit.ly/3fOSIL7
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👀 Have you seen the list of finalists for the @INN Nonprofit News Awards? Such an an impressive list w/ so many @AJP grantees to root for! @BlockClubCHI @SpotlightPA @inewsource @cpipr @documentedny @MarshallProj @wisconsinwatch. Congrats and good luck! bit.ly/3CrWnNg
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