Associated Press to create sister nonprofit to fundraise for state, local journalism

The Associated Press announced that it intends to raise money for and support state and local journalism through a new charitable sister organization.

The new organization will be a nonprofit governed by an independent board of directors, the AP said Tuesday.

The launching of the nonprofit is the latest effort by the AP to boost its journalism through philanthropic support, the news agency said in a press release.

It will help fund other entities that share a commitment to state and local news, the AP said.

The AP said it would retain editorial control of the journalism produced through its funding.

“Such support has allowed the global news organization to deepen reporting on key areas such as climate, religion, democracy, education and more,” the release said.

The AP’s announcement followed recent content-sharing collaborations with nonprofit news outlets across the country — aimed at expanding the reach of local news, especially nonpartisan journalism, ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Outlets include CalMatters, Honolulu Civil Beat, Montana Free Press, Nebraska Journalism Trust and South Dakota News Watch, the AP said in May.

“The crisis in local news is only exacerbating,” said Daisy Veerasingham, AP’s president and CEO. “State and local news is essential, both to the democratic process and to combating misinformation.”

Last fall, a coalition of philanthropies announced their intention to bring more than $500 million to an initiative called “Press Forward” that will support local journalism across the country over the next five years, reported Poynter, a nonprofit journalism school and research organization.

More than 2,000 newspapers have shut down over the past 15 years nationwide, leaving roughly 20% of America’s population without access to local news, according to Axios.