Millions of Americans are waking up each morning to scan the latest news about COVID-19’s impact on their communities. They’re asking the basics: What’s the case count in my city or county? Where can I get help if I need it? When will schools reopen?

In response to the moment, thousands of dedicated local journalists are doing what they’ve always done by delivering accurate, vetted, and timely information to their readers and audiences. Local news organizations provide an essential service by reporting on the basic infrastructure of our communities: local and state governments, courts, schools, law enforcement & public safety services, and most vitally today—public health systems. Yet, their very existence is on the line.

Even before this crisis, local news was cratering. Since 2004, an estimated 2,100 newspapers have vanished. That trendline has only continued. Right now,  there are new fears that the pandemic may wipe out the commercial local news industry. Some industry watchers are even advocating for a stimulus package for local news.

At the American Journalism Project, the first-ever venture philanthropy dedicated to local news, we support the most exemplary nonprofit news organizations that have an established record of providing nonpartisan civic news and information.

Our grantees have been working nearly nonstop to help their communities stay safe and informed, and to combat misinformation and fear. Here are just a few examples of how they are doing that:

  • In Memphis, MLK50 is looking at the far end of the pandemic by asking local workers what impact they are feeling.
  • The Connecticut Mirror, which has been covering the state’s opportunity gaps, examined the very different plans of two local school districts for providing remote learning for students.
  • In Chicago, City Bureau is surveying community groups and partners to figure out and help solve the information gaps not filled by existing systems like the city’s 311 service.
  • In San Diego, inewsource is alerting its readers to the fiscal challenges that remain ahead for local governments and schools.

Newsgathering isn’t cheap. It’s time intensive and labor intensive. Newsrooms require engaged, thoughtful human beings to work their sources, walk the streets, follow up on leads, attend press conferences, verify facts, read bills, scour minutes of city council meetings, and show up every day ready to listen to their communities. They host events, provide breaking news text message alerts, and help neighbors connect to one another.

According to Sue Cross, the CEO of the Institute for Nonprofit News, an innovation and membership network for more than 250 nonprofit newsrooms,  “...some INN members are seeing traffic to their web sites grow between five and ten times normal levels.” Based on a recent sample of 60 of their members, those newsrooms went from collectively dedicating about 50 reporters to health coverage to more than 350 journalists.

Yet, as John Thornton, a co-founder at the American Journalism Project wrote in this open letter to leaders of nonprofit newsrooms, they now have to brace for a painful reality of declining revenue.

As the economic downturn continues, nonprofit newsrooms are preparing for a decline in revenue: donations, memberships, events, and more. Philanthropy must take a short- and long-term approach and respond with commitment, compassion, and capital to sustain this work.

How can individual donors, families, and family foundations respond? 

The Knight Foundation, a lead funder of the American Journalism Project, highlights the organizations and efforts supporting the outstanding work happening in local news.

Find a local nonprofit news organization in your backyard. A list of trusted, mission-driven news organizations is available on the website of the Institute for Nonprofit News.

We are working alongside our grantees to sustain their news operations at a time when their readers need them the most. As grantmakers, we’re looking at ways to be flexible and responsive. We’re also continuing to raise funds for our ongoing overall work to support new cohorts of civic news organizations while talking to prospective donors about deploying immediate funds to help our grantees continue their critical work.

We’re driven by a fundamental belief that local news is not a luxury item but a baseline requirement of a healthy democracy.