CHICAGO — The TRiiBE is among six Illinois newsrooms selected to receive grants from Press Forward, the nationwide movement to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news.
They are among the 205 small, local news outlets — including one in every U.S. state — that are receiving a share of $20 million to close persistent coverage gaps.
Motivated by the extraordinary quality and number of proposals, Press Forward is funding twice as many news organizations as it originally anticipated through its first open call. More than 900 proposals were received.
“We are proud to be part of an extraordinary cohort of local news outlets across the U.S. that are doing the work to inform our respective communities,” said Tiffany Walden, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The TRiiBE. “This grant from Press Forward will help us continue to uplift voices and perspectives that are often overlooked in the media.”
The other Illinois newsrooms funded by Press Forward are The TRiiBE, La Raza, South Side Weekly, and Windy City Times in Chicago, Cicero Independiente in west suburban Cicero, and The Kewanee Voice in Kewanee. The media funded include newer nonprofits — some launched as information needs became evident during the recent pandemic — and enduring for-profits continuing to adapt and innovate after a century in business.
“The grant that La Raza has received from Press Forward makes us proud and will be key to boosting our editorial activities,” said Jesús Del Toro, director of La Raza. “The support this initiative is giving to media outlets across the country is a clear example of the importance of journalism and the success of philanthropic institutions working together to support local media.”
Some newsrooms are reporting on the vast American countryside — where they are often the only news source for hundreds of miles — while other outlets are covering people of color, LGBTQ+, and linguistically diverse communities that traditional news sources have overlooked.
