On Wednesday, Press Forward announced an expansion of its local chapters at the opening of the Knight Media Forum. Eleven communities joined six established chapters in the effort to get $500 million into local newsrooms and communities that need them. 

Press Foward is an initiative announced last fall aimed at strengthening “communities and democracy by supporting local news and information with an infusion of more than a half-billion dollars over the next five years,” according to a press release at the time. (Here’s our Press Foward primer.) 

In November, chapters were announced in Alaska, Illinois, Minnesota, Kansas and Philadelphia. Wednesday’s announcement adds to that list, with chapters in the following places (and their lead funders), according to a press release:

• Colorado, Gates Family Foundation and the Colorado Health Foundation
• Mississippi, CREATE Foundation
• New Jersey, New Jersey Civic Information Consortium
• New Mexico, Thornburg Foundation and the New Mexico Local News Fund
• Wyoming, Wyoming Community Foundation
• North Carolina, North Carolina Local News Lab Fund
• Pittsburgh, Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University
• San Antonio, San Antonio Area Foundation
• South Florida, The Miami Foundation
• Lancaster, Pennsylvania, The Steinman Foundation
• Lexington, Kentucky, Blue Grass Community Foundation

“The challenge of rebuilding America’s local news landscape is vast, and will depend on multi-layered solutions at the local and national level,” said Dale Anglin, Press Forward’s brand new director, in the press release. “Press Forward Locals are critical to our success. These leaders are closest to their communities and can identify authentic approaches for their cities and states.”

A bit more news from Wednesday and Press Forward: 

• Local chapters can apply for $250,000 in Catalyst Funds.
• Local chapters can get technical assistance from Press Forward.
• The project shared a new guide, “Press Forward: A guide for local funders.”

As always, I’ll include more Press Forward updates in this newsletter!

Before we go, a few quick updates:

• Happy second birthday to The Pivot Fund!

• Ken Tingley’s memoir about local news is being developed for the stage. 

• And a reminder that you can ditch work/life balance and sign up for my six-week newsletter course of Work-Life Chemistry anytime! 

That’s it for me. I’m wrapping up my book about Florida’s historic hotels, motels and inns and doing some deep dives into old newspaper archives. My favorite bit so far are all the clips from the Tampa hotel that supposedly had mafia connections, which was also where Lindsay Lohan’s dad tried to jump out of a third-story balcony to escape police. It was also a favorite haunt of Burt Reynolds. If those walls could talk …

Kristen