NEW YORK (AP) — Donations of more than $30 million will allow the AP Journalism Foundation to significantly expand its program that provides reporting and resources from the Associated Press to state and local nonprofit newsrooms, the organization announced Thursday.
The program, launched last year, supports about 50 news organizations, including Outlier Media in Michigan, Mountain State Spotlight in West Virginia and the Daily Digger in Vermont. He focused on areas where local news is lacking due to the industry's financial problems over the past two decades.
“This helps restore some of what has been lost over time,” said Rachel White, the foundation's CEO.
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation contributed $25 million to the fund. Other sponsors include Lilly Endowment Inc. and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
With the additional money, the foundation hopes to support a total of 100 state and local newsrooms by the end of 2026 and 300 by 2028.
Through the fund, local news sites receive AP articles, photos and data, raw material for their news product that they otherwise wouldn't be able to afford, and allow staff to focus on original reporting. The foundation also offers advice on bringing local perspectives to broader stories and advice on upcoming AP coverage.
In its first year of operation, participating newsrooms grew their audiences and increased engagement, she said.
