More Than $1.6 Million in Grants to 13 Local News Organizations

The inaugural round of Press Forward Chicago grants will support capacity building and peer learning

CHICAGO (May 23, 2024) – Today, Press Forward Chicago, a funder collaborative dedicated to strengthening and sustaining local news, announces more than $1.6 million in capacity-building grants to 13 local news organizations. Housed at The Chicago Community Trust, Press Forward Chicago is a local affiliate of the national Press Forward initiative the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation led to raise unprecedented resources to revitalize local news. The fund is supported by a growing coalition of civic-minded individuals, philanthropic leaders, and foundations interested in fostering stronger, economically stable organizations that can serve the information needs of their communities and that will inspire more residents to participate in civic life.

Amidst the backdrop of nationwide closures and cutbacks in local journalism, Press Forward Chicago is acutely aware of the need to ensure access to relevant, credible, and trusted sources of news and information. A study by Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism identified 108 independent media outlets in our region, many under significant financial pressure and only one or two pay cycles away from losing reporters and staff. These financial challenges jeopardize the communities’ access to high-quality, culturally responsive news sources.

Through its inaugural grant funding opportunity, Press Forward Chicago prioritized building the capacity of smaller newsrooms operating with budgets under $2 million, focusing on ongoing efforts to utilize civic journalism and storytelling platforms that amplify community voices, expose critical issues, and inform resident-driven actions.

“Press Forward Chicago is uniting resources and providing a space for funders to support the growth and innovations of local independent news outlets,” said Andrea Sáenz, president and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust. “These inaugural grants represent a commitment to providing vital access to stories that matter to communities and foster informed dialogue about issues impacting people’s lives.”

Grant recipients are supported for one of four funding priorities: developing scalable business models for local news sustainability, closing coverage and representation gaps in marginalized communities, enhancing civic participation through community connections, or leveraging technology for effective news distribution and audience engagement.

“We need to shift how we support local news—investing in it the same way we invest in other civic institutions we consider central to our democracy, like schools, libraries, and museums,” said John Palfrey, president of MacArthur. “Through Press Forward Chicago, we have the opportunity to establish the Chicago region as a pioneering force and model for collaborative, civic journalism that provides communities access to news and information critical to our daily lives.”

In addition to grant funding support, the 13 local news organizations will participate in a peer learning community to foster collaboration and share best practices to bolster the journalism community’s capacity to operate more effectively. The peer learning network will convene regularly to offer practitioner, organizational, and network support, providing the potential to maximize the impact of their reporting.

The news organizations receiving funding to support their work and complete project descriptions are included below:

• Borderless Magazine
• Chicago News Weekly
• Cicero Independiente
• Growing Community Media, parent company of Austin Weekly News
• Injustice Watch
• Investigative Project on Race and Equity
• Invisible Institute
• Lansing Journal LLC
• La Raza Chicago
• Reparations Media NFP
• Respair Production & Media
• South Side Weekly
• Windy City Times

Press Forward Chicago is supported by a coalition of more than 15 foundations and funders working together to strengthen and sustain local news. Two committees support the initiative, including a steering committee, which will guide Press Forward Chicago’s priorities and strategies, and an advisory committee, grounded in newsroom leadership and expertise, focusing on innovation and sustainable business practices.

Press Forward Chicago welcomes and continues to invite additional funders to enhance nonprofit and for-profit news and information. For more information, visit www.cct.org/press-forward.

About Press Forward Chicago
Press Forward Chicago is a funder collaborative housed at The Chicago Community Trust, designed in partnership with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and local journalism donors and practitioners. The initiative aims to enrich the quality, reach and diversity of news reporting in the Chicago region, ensuring residents can access relevant, credible, and trusted information. Press Forward Chicago is a local chapter of Press Forward, the national initiative led by the MacArthur Foundation. Press Forward Local Chapters are an opportunity for funders to create place-based initiatives for local news driven by the specific needs of their communities.

Press Forward Chicago Grant Recipient Project Descriptions

Borderless Magazine
To support hiring two positions as part of a project to bolster operational capacity and community engagement to address language barriers and diversify revenue streams.

Chicago News Weekly
To build emerging journalists’ capacity and skill set with in-house training on journalism practices, ethics, newspaper publication, and editorial roles.

Cicero Independiente
To expand its digital reach and diversify its revenue streams to support its overall financial health.

Growing Community Media, the parent company of Austin Weekly News
To establish a new bureau in the Austin neighborhood and expand audience engagement and reach.

Injustice Watch
To deepen its understanding of residents’ information needs regarding the Cook County court system.

Investigative Project on Race and Equity
To support prioritizing diversity and inclusion to address the systemic racial, economic and social disparities through data-driven journalism.

Invisible Institute
To increase the distribution of hard copy reports in strategically identified community areas, host convenings for audience engagement, and produce audio and video accompaniments to reporting for broader reach on digital and social media platforms.

Lansing Journal LLC
To enhance the organization’s overall sustainability and to expand its ability to provide local news coverage to overlooked communities in southern Cook County.

La Raza Chicago
To enhance audience engagement and participation by cultivating a cohort of community writers, thinkers and reporters to address challenges, counteract harmful narratives, and promote community cohesion.

Reparations Media NFP
To enhance audience engagement by amplifying community-driven grassroots solutions by empowering emerging journalists and community leaders to share authentic narratives and foster dialogue.

Respair Production & Media
To enhance the organization’s overall sustainability by expanding access to resources, training and production support to emergent media makers — empowering them to share their stories and perspectives with new audiences.

South Side Weekly
To deepen its engagement with audiences across Chicago by enhancing its physical distribution infrastructure and serving as a resource and information exchange hub.

Windy City Times
To deepen audience engagement and reach by launching three new newsletters: BLACKlines for the Black LGBTQ+ community, En La Vida for the Latinx LGBTQ+ population, and a general LGBTQ+ news newsletter.