Seven Alaska news organizations have been selected for grants of $100,000 over two years to pay for news coverage essential to the communities they serve.
The awards to Alaska News Coalition, Anchorage; Copper River Record, Kenny Lake; KCAW Raven Radio, Sitka; KDLL Radio, Kenai; KUCB Radio, Unalaska; and Sol de Medianoche, the Spanish-language newspaper in Anchorage, were announced on Oct. 17 by the Alaska Center for Excellence. The Alaska media selected were part of an inaugural Press Forward Open Call on Closing Local Coverage Gaps grants, and are among 205 organizations nationwide chosen from a competitive pool of 931 applicants to provide support to strengthen local journalism.
Press Forward is the work of a coalition of philanthropic organizations working to support independent reporting, strengthen democracy, foster community connection and promote informed civic participation. Through its Pooled Fund, Press Forward aims to empower local news organizations across the country, especially in underserved regions, to continue providing essential journalism that reflects and serves their communities.
“The Alaska News Coalition was formed this summer as a statewide nonprofit dedicated to finding shared solutions to improve the finances and long-term viability of news organizations across Alaska, particularly newspapers that are so essential to their communities — especially papers in smaller towns,” said Larry Persily of the Alaska News Coalition. “The Press Forward grant will help immensely as the coalition embarks on its initial efforts, working to bring news organizations together in a common effort and assisting newspapers as they move more deeply into the digital world.”
Persily, a veteran journalist, is also the publisher of the Wrangell Sentinel.
“Strong local journalism means that more people have the power to hold their leaders accountable, to make the important choices about their daily lives, and to keep our communities strong,” said Press Forward Director Dale Anglin. “However, for too long, underserved communities have not been included in those narratives, the truth of their lived experiences not reflected, to the detriment of our democracy. We’re looking for outlets that are filling these important gaps, in rural and urban communities across the country.”
“Over the last few years, we have been slowly raising awareness of the importance of language access and creating a bridge between Alaska’s Latino community and the broader state,” said Lina Mariscal, publisher of Sol de Medianoche. “This grant motivates us to continue moving forward. We are definitely ready to collaborate with the rest of the Alaskan grantees to continue strengthening the importance of local news and help understand what is at stake for us all.”
Press forward’s next national open call will open in November, providing opportunities for local news infrastructure.
