Over the course of 2023, independent and nonprofit news saw new and increased investments in journalism from philanthropic funders. Early in the year, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Gallup released a report that found Americans have more “emotional trust” in local news than national news. Buoyed by such findings, the nonprofit news sector experienced several firsts, including funder coalitions designed to sustain and support local news and global grants in support of fact checking and fighting disinformation. For example, Press Forward, a five-year, $500 million initiative focused on supporting local newsrooms, was launched in September. Before the year was out, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation had announced grants in December totaling $48 million in support of Press Forward.

Here are some of the top stories about philanthropy’s support for nonprofit news from 2023:

MacArthur Foundation commits $48 million in support of local news
(12/19/2023)

Press Forward Chicago launches with $10 million in commitments
(11/09/2023)

Funders commit $500 million to reverse decline in local news
(09/28/2023)

Global Fact Check Fund announces inaugural grants to 35 organizations
(07/10/2023)

Pocket partners with American Journalism Project to uplift local news
(07/05/2023)

Institute for Nonprofit News launches Rural News Network
(05/13/2023)

NewsMatch funding from local partners tops funds from national groups
(04/04/2023)

Americans put high value on “emotional trust” in news, study finds
(02/20/2023)

(Photo credit: Getty Images/South agency)