Friend,

In our country, local journalism has been decimated. For millions of people, it simply doesn’t exist — and our communities are paying the price.

Without local news, corruption increases, fewer people vote and people struggle to find information on critical services. This information vacuum leads to a heavier reliance on social media, where disinformation is rampant and algorithms amplify harmful narratives intended to sow chaos and division.

But we have good news to share: Free Press has officially established a groundbreaking new model for sustainable local journalism in New Jersey. It’s a model we hope to spread across the country — but this work takes deep resources to scale up.

In a minute, I’ll explain more — but first: we’re counting on supporters like you to make an investment in our work. Please make your first-ever donation of $5 to Free Press toward our $25k goal on this #GivingTuesday — every dollar you give will go THREE TIMES as far in our work to revive local journalism.

In 2018, the Civic Info Bill was signed into law. The signing of the Civic Info Bill created the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium, which has given out nearly $2.5 million in grants since it began in 2021 and recently received $4 million from the state to support local news-and-information initiatives.

Funding from the consortium has supported initiatives to help spark civic engagement, expand access to public health and COVID-19 information, make government more transparent and accountable to the public, and diversify journalism’s pipeline — so that the reporters serving New Jersey’s communities better represent the beautiful diversity of our state.

Over the past 15 years, the United States has lost more than half the newspaper reporters covering state and local beats. If we can use the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium as a roadmap for other places exploring new ways to revitalize independent local news, we will turn the tide.

Please make your first-ever donation of $5 to Free Press now to provide THREE TIMES the resources to our fight to revive local journalism, close the digital divide and so much more.

Thank you for everything you do to support our movement for a just and equitable media system — one where all community members’ needs are served.

In solidarity,

Mike and the rest of the News Voices team
freepress.net