The Joyce Foundation joined a national coalition of 22 donors today in announcing the formation of Press Forward, an initiative designed to strengthen communities and, by extension, democracy, by supporting local news and information. Press Forward will invest more than $500 million over the next five years to enhance local journalism, strengthen community cohesion by centering local news, and closing longstanding inequities through expanding coverage.
Since 2005 at least 2,200 local newspapers have closed, resulting in 20 percent of Americans living in “news deserts” with little, fact-based coverage of important local news events. This dramatic decline in local news has coincided with an increasingly divided America, rampant spread of mis- and disinformation, and withering trust in institutions. Press Forward hopes to reverse this decline by deploying new resources to the field, facilitating greater funding coordination, and peer learning.
“Supporting high-quality journalism is one of The Joyce Foundation’s core missions. We believe Press Forward is a promising initiative that will enhance and improve local news nationwide and help restore trust in institutions and information systems,” said Journalism Senior Program Officer Hugh Dellios.
The Foundation also supports projects and programs designed to strengthen local news in the Great Lakes Region, including Northwestern University's Local News Initiative and the year-end NewsMatch fundraising campaign overseen by the Institute for Nonprofit News.
To learn more about Press Forward, please click here.
About The Joyce Foundation
Joyce is a nonpartisan, private foundation that invests in evidence-informed public policies and strategies to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region.