Over two decades of decline, the U.S. newspaper industry has suffered job losses on par, percentage-wise with manufacturers of cassette tapes and DVDs. Local newsrooms are vanishing at a rate of more than two a week, leaving an estimated 55 million Americans in news deserts with limited access to essential information. The Knight Foundation, with a strong history of supporting journalism, is out to reverse that trend.
Leading the charge is Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, who became the first female president and CEO in Knight’s almost 75-year history in January 2024. Under her direction, the foundation last year doubled its pledge to Press Forward, a national coalition to bolster local news, from $150 million to $300 million over five years. In July, the foundation gave a timely $6.9 million infusion to strengthen nonpartisan election coverage in pivotal states—reflecting Wadsworth’s belief that philanthropy must “move at the speed of news.” And this February, Knight added $25 million to an initial grant of $20 million, to support the American Journalism Project, an initiative to support nonprofit local news.
Many of the challenges we face come down to a “lack of connection and engagement” with our fellow citizens, Wadsworth says. “Local journalism in particular is a grounding element. It is an anchor that helps communities to be strong and connected.”