For years, the story of local news has been one of loss — buyouts, layoffs, and shuttered newsrooms that have left communities disconnected and ill-informed. While no one can deny the challenges, we cannot lose sight of the momentum underway to rebuild local news. Across the country, communities are reclaiming journalism as a public good.
This rebirth hasn’t happened by chance. It’s the result of deliberate investments in sustainable models, innovative approaches to revenue, and the relentless commitment of journalists and local leaders. For more, here is a prediction for the New Year that I wrote for Nieman Lab.
In this Year in Review, you’ll read about the meaningful strides we’ve made this year. The American Journalism Project’s portfolio is now 50 organizations strong. Our investments and support are equipping nonprofit newsrooms to build strong, diversified revenue streams, expand into new communities, and deliver powerful journalism. 2025 will be a year to accelerate. Together, we’re proving what’s possible when we invest in a free and thriving local press.
Play video
Watch the pioneers that are forging a future where local news not only thrives, but lasts.
By the numbers
$183M
raised since launch in 2019
$66M
of local philanthropy catalyzed to launch new local news initiatives
50
news organizations supported since 2019
3X
median return on investment from first 22 grantees
99%
increase in annual revenue from first 22 grantees
216
new journalists hired by first 22 grantees
Since our launch in 2019, we’ve raised $183 million to advance nonprofit local news. Our 2024 Impact Report captured the significant strides our portfolio has made with our support: in one year alone, the news organizations saw a 36% growth in revenue, adding $23 million net of AJP’s investments.
When we began this work, we asked ourselves: What would happen at the end of our three-year investment cycles? Would our capital investments and venture support leave these organizations stronger and more sustainable? This year, we’re proud to share that the results from our first set of three-year investments underscore the power of our approach. Twenty-two organizations in our portfolio have concluded or are nearing the end of their investment cycles, achieving remarkable outcomes: a 3X median revenue return on our annual investment, a 99% increase in annual revenue, and the hiring of 216 new journalists, representing a 102% increase in newsroom capacity.
Number of editorial employees across portfolio by year. Data as of June 30, 2024.
These are some of the many critical stories our portfolio news organizations published that uncovered important issues, demanded accountability from those in power and centered community voices.
Top photo courtesy of Enlace Latino NC.
How we’re catalyzing the growth of nonprofit, local news
By supporting nonprofit news organizations, building place-based solutions, and forging groundbreaking collaborations, we’re shaping a future where every community has access to trustworthy, impactful journalism. These efforts are not just filling gaps in the local news ecosystem — they’re creating models of resilience and sustainability that can inspire and guide the industry as a whole.
Growing our portfolio
We’re continuing to grow the local news organizations in our portfolio. In 2024, we announced a new investment in Deep South Today, a network of newsrooms including Mississippi Today and Verite News, and added seven news organizations to our portfolio: Grist; New York Focus; Spotlight Delaware; The Texas Tribune; Charlottesville Tomorrow; The Colorado Sun; and The Salt Lake Tribune, a historic legacy newspaper that transitioned to a nonprofit news organization in 2019.
Play video
Watch the work of El Paso Matters, the Nebraska Journalism Trust and Outlier Media — three news organizations that are shining examples of the progress we’re seeing across the field.
Local news initiatives: building ambitious efforts from the ground up
Over the last four years, we’ve developed a strong operation to mobilize local philanthropy and create market-specific solutions to address gaps in local news across the country, raising $66 million from place-based philanthropy in eight markets.
In September, we announced the L.A. Local News Initiative, following 18 months of collaboration with Los Angeles media and philanthropy leaders. With $15 million raised, this new nonprofit will provide local coverage for communities across the region, enhance the capacity of LAist and CalMatters to provide regional coverage, and engage in close collaborations with a growing list of over two dozen partners.
In December, we launched the Tulsa Local News Initiative with $14 million raised from a coalition of media and philanthropy leaders. The initiative will expand the historic Oklahoma Eagle — a Black-owned newspaper serving the area for more than a century — and create over two dozen journalism jobs. It will also enhance capacity for four local newsrooms, The Frontier, KOSU, La Semana, and Focus: Black Oklahoma, to better serve Tulsa’s Hispanic, Native, and immigrant communities.
Expanding to serve more communities
This year, we supported grantees as they pursued ambitious expansion plans. Among many examples, Spotlight PA announced it will open a bureau in Berks County, informed by a year-long community research project that highlighted residents’ need for more local news to hold governments accountable. The Texas Tribune is using support from AJP to launch a network of local newsrooms across the state, starting in Waco and Austin. Civic News Company launched its third vertical, Healthbeat, to cover public health starting in New York City and Atlanta. In California’s Bay Area, Cityside launched Richmondside, its third local newsroom. And this fall, Signal Ohio, which already serves both Cleveland and Akron, announced the launch of Signal Statewide to cover issues and policies at the Ohio Statehouse.
Advancing innovation through our Product & AI Studio
In 2023, we launched our Product & AI Studio, forming our first learning cohort of 13 organizations from our portfolio. By combining funding, expert coaching and peer learning opportunities, the Studio supported this cohort in experimenting with and implementing AI-powered solutions to enhance their journalism and operations, leading to early examples of how emerging technologies can contribute to impact and sustainability.
Looking ahead to 2025, the Studio will focus on two themes: using AI to advance revenue growth through innovative tools and harnessing AI to leverage public information for investigative journalism, including transcription, translation, and data organization.
Accelerating learning across our portfolio
Building on the success of our venture support approach, this year we expanded opportunities for learning and collaboration across our portfolio, ensuring the nonprofit news organizations we support have the tools, insights and networks to succeed. AJPalooza, the American Journalism Project’s annual convening, brings together leaders from our portfolio organizations, supporters and community partners. This year’s gathering, themed “Built to Last: Nonprofit News That Endures,” focused on strategies for sustaining local news organizations and emphasized the critical role of community-driven journalism in strengthening news ecosystems. The event featured discussions on sustainability, movement building, fostering agile organizations and cultivating trusted brands, underscoring the importance of community connections and innovative approaches to ensuring resilience in nonprofit news.
We also brought some portfolio members that are planning for market expansion to Texas for a retreat to learn from The Texas Tribune’s planned launch of a newsroom serving Waco. There, we highlighted the strategies for building local news initiatives that are championed by coalitions of local supporters. And throughout the year, we’ve offered our portfolio new accelerator programs, focusing on building specific skills essential for strengthening local news organizations in areas like audience development, major giving and reader revenue.
Top photo courtesy of Sahan Journal; second photo courtesy of Boyle Heights Beat; bottom photo by Matt Shiffler for American Journalism Project
“There’s an old adage in the news business that journalists only cover the planes that crash. But in this case, we need to cover the planes that are taking off.”
— Sarabeth Berman in Nieman Lab
THE PRESS
In 2024, AJP and our grantees continued to earn attention:
Reporting with impact: Highlights from our portfolio
We’re focused on building sustainable local news organizations because we know outstanding independent journalism can’t thrive without resources. Here’s a taste of some of the impactful reporting from our portfolio:
City Bureau’s award-winning “Missing in Chicago” series
City Bureau’s Sarah Conway and Invisible Institute’s Trina Reynolds-Tyler won the Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting for their “Missing in Chicago” series, which exposed racial disparities in the city’s missing persons investigations. This marks the second consecutive year a nonprofit news organization in our portfolio has received the Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting.
Houston Landing investigation leads to new policies in schools
In May, a Houston Landing investigation revealed that Texas schools had illegally suspended thousands of homeless students over the past five years, violating a 2019 state law. Following this investigation, several Houston-area school districts implemented new policies to prevent such unlawful practices, including regular audits of student discipline and digital alerts to flag potential violations. The Texas Education Agency also began reviewing statewide discipline data and issued guidance to ensure compliance with the law.
Mirror Indy reporting uncovers abuse of power
A Mirror Indy investigation uncovered allegations of sexual harassment against Thomas Cook, former chief of staff to Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. Following the reporting, two women sent a letter to city leaders, prompting plans to establish a human resources branch independent of the mayor’s administration. Mayor Hogsett addressed the allegations and announced measures to improve the city’s handling of such complaints.
THE CITY investigation uncovers questions around donations to NYC Mayor campaign
The CITY has been at the forefront of covering the indictment of NYC Mayor Eric Adams on charges of bribery, wire fraud and receiving donations from foreign nationals. As federal investigators probe his inner circle, The CITY’s reporting has built on its early investigation into illegal donations linked to Adams’ supporters.
Fort Worth Report reporting has immediate classroom impact
In September, a Fort Worth Report story highlighted the impact of layoffs in the Fort Worth Independent School District’s technology department on classroom resources. Teachers Megan Breedlove and Karen Gonzalez shared that interactive boards in their classrooms had gone years without upgrades. A day after the Report’s story was published, Breedlove’s board was replaced.
We’re ending 2024 with 50 grantees
Our portfolio now includes 50 nonprofit local news organizations working in 36 states across the country. While some have completed their grant cycles, the American Journalism Project remains a committed partner, supporting them through capacity-building initiatives and ongoing participation in our learning community. We’re proud of their achievements to date and look forward to accelerating their progress in the year to come. You can learn more about the remarkable organizations in our portfolio here.
Thank you to our board, supporters and advisors.
Board
Joe Natoli, Board Chair
EVP and CAO, Baptist Health South Florida
Former Publisher, Knight Ridder
Irving Washington, Board Chair
SVP and Executive Director, Health Information and Trust Initiative, KFF
Rosental Alves
Professor, Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, University of Texas at Austin
Jelani Cobb
Dean and Henry R. Luce Professor of Journalism, Columbia Journalism School
Jeff Cohen
Executive Vice President of Communications, Arnold Ventures
Michelle De La Isla
CEO, Hack.Diversity and former Mayor, City of Topeka, Kan.
Teresa Gorman
Associate Director, Public Square, Democracy Fund
Peter Lattman, Vice Chair
Managing Director, Media, Emerson Collective
Hilary Schneider
Strategic advisor to the Board of Directors, Shutterfly
Maria Thomas
Startup Advisor/Investor
John Thornton, 1965-2025
Co-founder & Partner, Elsewhere Partners
Supporters
As we pursue our mission to establish and sustain local journalism as a public good, we are thankful to have these donors and partners alongside us, many of whom have supported our work since we launched in 2019.
$5,000,000+
$1,000,000 – $4,999,999
$200,000 to $999,999
Arthur Vining Davis Foundations | Simone Coxe | Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation | Ford Foundation | Four Pines Charitable Foundation | William & Flora Hewlett Foundation | Kaplen Brothers Fund | Henry Luce Foundation | Lumina Foundation | The staff at The New York Times through its employee-giving campaign | Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh | Present Progressive Fund | The Schmidt Family Foundation | Erin and John Thornton | Natasha and Dirk Ziff
$5,000 to $199,999
The Alderyn Fund | Allen & Company | Howard M. Austin | Pam & Larry Baer | Baskin Family Foundation | Harris A. Berman & Ruth E. Nemzoff Family Foundation | Eliot Brown | David Conrad | Dana Devon and Neil Sand | Beth Dozoretz | Flamboyan Foundation | Freedom Forum | Ann B. and Thomas L. Friedman Family Foundation | Girl Reporter Fund | Elizabeth Heinsohn | Inasmuch Foundation | Jampart Charitable Trust | Jewish Foundation of Memphis | Katherine Kovner | Peter Kranwinkle | Lakeside Foundation | Erica and Jeff Lawson | The Listgarten Family Fund | Dr. Michelle and Mr. Daniel Lubetzky | Ben Lumpkin | Julia Maher | Laura and Scott Malkin | Victoria Martin | McDougal Family Foundation | MERGEM Fund | Roger Miles | Patrick Miller | Miranda Family Fund | Joe Natoli | The Panonica Foundation | Gaye T. Pigott | Rockefeller Brothers Fund | Rust Charitable Foundation | Schwab Charitable | Robert and Virginia Shiller Foundation | Lucien Simpfendoerfer | Surdna Foundation | Eric Sorensen | Jay and Deanie Stein Foundation Trust | Karen Tarnow | Maria Thomas | The van Agtmael Family Charitable Fund | Marianne Victor | Walton Family Foundation | Wedner Family Foundation | R. Ted Weschler | Wyncote Foundation | Mitchell and Elaine Yanow Charitable Trust | Brian and Susie Zachman Charitable Fund
Local Philanthropy Partners
A special thank you to our local philanthropic partners that have provided funding to help identify and address information gaps in their communities.
The Arizona Community Foundation | Arnold Ventures | The Burton Family Foundation | California Community Foundation | Central Indiana Community Foundation | Cleveland Foundation | Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln | Community Foundation for Southern Arizona | Flinn Foundation | Grand Rapids Community Foundation | Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation | Helios Education Foundation | Hillman Family Foundations | Houston Endowment | The James Irvine Foundation | Emily Kaiser | George Kaiser Family Foundation | Kalamazoo Community Foundation | Leonetti/O’Connell Family Foundation | Lumina Foundation | Miami Foundation | Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust | Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust | W.K. Kellogg Foundation | Waco Foundation | Walton Family Foundation | Wichita Foundation
Advisory Circle
Laurence Baer, Chief Executive Officer and President, San Francisco Giants
- Laurence Baer, Chief Executive Officer and President, San Francisco Giants
- Farai Chideya, Host and producer, Our Body Politic
- Marsha Cooke, Vice President, ESPN Films and Executive Producer, 30 for 30
- Simone Coxe
- Pamela Maffei McCarthy, Deputy Editor of The New Yorker 1992-2020
- Graciela Mochkofsky, Dean, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism
- Dr. Anya Schiffrin, Senior lecturer, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs
- Evan Smith, Senior Advisor, Texas Tribune and Senior Advisor, Emerson Collective
- Richard Tofel, Principal, Gallatin Advisory LLC and former president, ProPublica