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Press Forward announced Oct. 16, the 205 newsrooms—including BenitoLink—that will receive “Closing Local Coverage Gaps” grants for this year. Press Forward is a huge national effort to support local newsrooms with funds held by the Miami Foundation.
Press Forward is a national movement to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news. On its website, Press Forward says, “As local newsrooms have disappeared across America, communities have witnessed fading civic engagement, eroding social bonds, surging misinformation, and dwindling governmental accountability.”
BenitoLink and the other Press Forward newsrooms were chosen out of more than 900 applicants. The funding opportunity totals $100,000 per newsroom and will be distributed over two years in $50,000 payments.
“We are so excited to be part of this very special and fortunate group of newsrooms,” said Leslie David, BenitoLink executive director. “I am very proud of our team for achieving this recognition.”
Press Forward doubled its initial plan of giving $5 million this year to $10 million and said that its coalition of funders was motivated “by the quality and quantity of proposals” and decided to increase the number of newsrooms to be granted funding. A Press Forward news release said they selected at least one news organization from each state in the US plus to Puerto Rico and Guam.
BenitoLink is a community supported, nonprofit news organization that covers San Benito County and is based in Hollister, California. Although BenitoLink prints in special circumstances, it is primarily an online news source created by the residents of San Benito to bring back consistent reporting on topics and issues that are important to community members.
“From newsrooms focused on people of color and linguistically diverse communities, to others covering vast rural areas where they are the only news source for miles, these local journalists are filling the gaps where traditional coverage has fallen short,” a Press Forward announcement said.
Learn more about Press Forward and the 205 fortunate newsrooms receiving 2024 “Closing Local Coverage Gaps” grants.
We need your help. Support local, nonprofit news! BenitoLink is a nonprofit news website that reports on San Benito County. Our team is committed to this community and providing essential, accurate information to our fellow residents. Producing local news is expensive, and community support keeps the news flowing. Please consider supporting BenitoLink, San Benito County’s public service nonprofit news.
