Q&A: Press Forward’s Texas chapter is betting big on rural and local news
Local journalism plays a critical role in our communities and democracy. Yet, the industry is struggling. News organizations are laying off staff and ceasing operations, while how best to fund local news remains an urgent, unresolved question.
Despite these challenges, there is hope — according to Press Forward. This national coalition of funders plans to invest more than $500 million to strengthen local journalism in the United States. Their goal, according to its website, is to catalyze a “local news renaissance” that will recenter local journalism as a force for “community cohesion, civic participation, and government accountability.”
More than thirty local chapters have launched across the country — and only one exists in Texas.
Related Knowledge Center: Local media
The hollowing out of the local news ecosystem has been well documented; in some communities, efforts are underway to reverse the growing news desert.
Related Knowledge Center: State of the business model
The traditional journalism business model has long since collapsed, and news organizations have shrunk or disappeared entirely. While a number of promising experiments are under way, the public has not shown a willingness to buy what news organizations are selling.