In the face of scores of local newspaper shutdowns, nonprofit local initiatives are prospering. Report for America, providing journalists for local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities, is one of the finalists for a MacArthur award of $100,000. The non-profit ProPublica established affiliates in Illinois and Texas and worked with local newspapers on various projects, last year helping the Anchorage Daily News win a Pulitzer. (Poynter, January 26, 2021, by Rick Edmonds)
The Tiny News Collective is poised to open 10 news news organizations by April and over 490 in the next three years. Those wanting to found newspapers in their communities can file applications for resources, training and tech. By reducing the cost, the Collective figures they can mitigate the main barrier for starting a newspaper. (Poynter, December 15, 2020, by Angela Fu)