Press Forward, a national group aiming to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news, announced Wednesday that 205 newsrooms across the country were awarded a total of $20 million in grants to “close persistent coverage gaps in their communities.”
The Independent News and The Sandoval Signpost — two of just four media outlets in New Mexico that were awarded a grant — each received $100,000 in funding.
“The transition to digital and sensationalism of national news has left a massive gap in local news coverage, particularly in rural and historically disenfranchised communities that aren’t targets for big corporate media outlets,” said Pat Davis, Publisher of the Signpost and The Independent. “We believe those voices still matter, and we’re building a playbook to train and embed journalists in communities where news is welcome as a public service. Press Forward’s funding signals that those journalists and our communities are something worth investing in.”
Two other New Mexico media outlets received Press Forward grants: New Mexico In Depth and the Questa del Rio News.
The Independent News is the only local newspaper serving the rural communities of the East Mountains, Edgewood, and the Estancia Valley in New Mexico. It is dedicated to preserving and protecting local communities by providing a platform to understand the people, places and stories that make those communities unique and providing a hub for readers to engage with local businesses and participate in local decisions that impact their lives.
Sandoval Signpost is the only countywide local news outlet serving the historic communities of Sandoval County. Formerly a monthly print-only paper, it now includes a weekly print issue and weekly digital e-edition, covering county government, the Town of Bernalillo, the community of Placitas, and expanding coverage across Sandoval County’s unique and diverse rural communities.
“These grants provide a much needed investment in local news in New Mexico,” said Rashad Mahmood, executive director of the New Mexico Local News Fund. “Every New Mexican deserves to have access to high quality, truthful local news and information about the community they live in. With the support of investments like this we are one step closer to achieving that goal.”
Press Forward is funding twice as many news organizations through its first open call as it initially anticipated . Recipients were selected from 931 proposals from newsrooms with annual budgets of less than $1 million.
“These newsrooms are proof that we are seeing a moment of transformation, where new and longstanding are stepping up to create a new story for local news,” said Dale R. Anglin, director of Press Forward. “Each newsroom plays a vital public service role in its community — providing trustworthy local news and information in places where no other sources may exist. Independent newsrooms need community support to survive. We hope that more people will subscribe and donate to them.”
