This article was originally released by Press Forward New Mexico.
Thornburg Foundation, New Mexico Local News Fund will co-lead the initiative with goal of raising $3M over five years.
February 21, 2024 – Press Forward New Mexico, a collaborative of local funders, has launched with the goal of catalyzing a local news renaissance in New Mexico that will reshape the local news landscape and re-center local journalism as a force for community cohesion, civic participation, and government accountability. The group’s aim is to raise $3 million over five years from local foundations and major donors, and potentially have that matched by the national Press Forward initiative. Press Forward NM is co-led by the Thornburg Foundation and the New Mexico Local News Fund at the Santa Fe Community Foundation. The Local News Fund has created a private-public partnership for local news with the support of the State Legislature.
Launched in 2023 by a coalition of 22 national funders and donors, Press Forward has a goal of raising unprecedented resources to revitalize local news, spur proven models and solutions to address the local news crisis, and close longstanding inequities in journalism coverage and practice. The national initiative has a commitment from funders to spend more than $500 million over five years to support local news.
In December, Press Forward announced a network of local chapters: affiliates of the national initiative that are anchored and driven by local funders. Today, funding leaders in New Mexico, Colorado, New Jersey, North Carolina, Mississippi, Wyoming, and Texas join the expanding network.
“The Thornburg Foundation strongly believes in the power of local journalism and its power to inform and educate the public, increase government accountability, and strengthen our democracy, said Allan Oliver, Executive Director of Thornburg Foundation. “We are excited to participate in a coalition of New Mexico funders in Press Forward, which will help bring national investment and help strengthen trusted news in communities around our state.”
“We are thrilled to help lead the new coalition of New Mexico funders in Press Forward,” said Allan Oliver, executive director of Thornburg Foundation. “We are a big believer in the power of local journalism to be a key watchdog of the government, helping keep elected officials honest and our democracy stronger. Press Forward is a powerful, collaborative way for us to help bring national dollars to the Land of Enchantment and strengthen trusted news in communities around the state.”
Press Forward New Mexico will offer philanthropic leaders, civic-minded individuals, and regional foundations the opportunity to pool their dollars to support a robust network of independent news outlets that are serving the information needs of New Mexico’s diverse communities. Press Forward philanthropic partners include the Albuquerque Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico, McCune Charitable Foundation, New Mexico Foundation and Santa Fe Community Foundation.