PHILANTHROPIC NEWS
Why It Matters
The survival of local news is critical to the future of American democracy and in promoting a more equitable society.
Local reporters are front-line government watchdogs, informing residents about the workings of city hall, school districts and other agencies that impact communities on a daily basis. Where local news isn’t available over a sustained period, the quality of life diminishes, and elected officials tend to be less vigilant in using public funds. The beneficiaries often are the powerful and the well-connected. Researchers also say that local government not only becomes more costly in these communities, it’s less efficient in “news deserts.” Residents are left wondering why their services go down even while they are paying more.
With the traditional business model being unsustainable, the future of local news is dependent on the development of new and innovative revenue sources. Journalism Funding Partners is committed to building a network of funding sources to help local newsrooms do their work with the most resources possible. We know that philanthropic support alone will not sustain struggling newsrooms, but it can help in significant ways. In many communities, it’s already part of the solution, In Fresno, CA, 10 fulltime reporters have been added to The Bee’s newsroom just through philanthropy. That has made a difference in Fresno, with hundreds of news stories about education, land use, air quality, diversity and social justice.
At this crucial time in journalism, the financial challenges are forcing news organizations to promote innovation and experimentation, and that is bringing new energy to the local journalism ecosystem. JFP is proud to be at the center of this exciting work, partnering with newsrooms and funders to tell stories that otherwise would not be told.
The JFP Board of Directors includes individuals who have committed their careers to quality journalism and to improving the communities they live in. This diverse board understands that local journalism is too valuable to accept the proposition that the narrative can’t be changed. We hope you join in our work to support local journalism.
It also contributes to a loss of community as fewer residents want to take part in their democracy. A recent study by the Knight Foundation found that public participation in civic life is directly related to the vibrancy of local news. A powerful book by Margaret Sullivan, the Washington Post media columnist and former New York Times public editor, explores the shredding of the community fabric by the loss of local news. “The cost to democracy is great. It takes a toll on civic engagement — even on citizens’ ability to have a common sense of reality and facts, the very basis of self-governance,” Sullivan writes in Ghosting the News: Local Journalism and the Crisis in American Democracy.
