Support local news and democracy in the digital age – Knight Foundation

Support local news and democracy in the digital age

Local journalists are at the frontline of communities, investigating and delivering the news that matters most to residents. Their future and the survival of their profession is critically entwined with the health of our communities and our democracy. And they are disappearing.

Confronted with sinking revenues, local news organizations are shutting their doors and leaving many U.S. communities without a daily news outlet. At the same time, trust in news has hit all-time lows and polarization has peaked, in part because the shrinking of local news has led to a loss of trustworthy information created by people we know.

We have an opportunity to turn that around — together. For more than a decade, Knight has been a leading supporter of local and nonprofit news organizations, helping them to establish long-term sustainability in the digital age. In 2019, Knight Foundation made a commitment to invest in new, scalable initiatives with the potential to underpin a fresh future for local news as part of a $300 million, five-year commitment to strengthening journalism. 

Our investment is just a start; building the news infrastructure that will support democracy in the 21st century needs a lasting commitment from institutional funders and individuals passionate about the role local news plays in our democracy. We are inviting you to be a part of this resurgence.

Do you want to support local news on in your community or across the country? Click on the logos above to connect directly with our grantees.

Want to support a nonprofit news site and have your contribution matched? Go to NewsMatch.org.

Want advice on how to have the most impact with a major gift? Email [email protected] and we’ll talk.

Learn more at kf.org/localnews