Donations to APFJ allow expansion of program providing resources to local and state newsrooms

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NEW YORK (AP) — Donations of more than $30 million will allow the AP Fund for Journalism to significantly expand its program that provides news and resources from The Associated Press to state and local nonprofit newsrooms, the organization announced Thursday.

Started last year, the program supports nearly 50 news organizations, including Outlier Media in Michigan, Mountain State Spotlight in West Virginia and VTDigger in Vermont. It has focused on areas where local news is in short supply due to the industry's financial troubles over the last two decades.

“It helps rebuild some of what has been lost over time,” said Rachel White, the fund's CEO.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has committed $25 million to the fund. Other contributors include Lilly Endowment Inc. and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

With the additional money, the fund hopes to support a total of 100 state and local newsrooms by the end of 2026, and 300 by 2028.

Through the fund, the local news sites get AP stories, photos and data, raw material for their news product that they otherwise would not be able to afford, allowing staff members to concentrate on original stories. The fund also offers advice on bringing local angles to broader stories and tips on upcoming AP coverage.

The first year of operation saw participating newsrooms grow their audiences and making them more engaged, she said.