Five foundations have announced the creation of Press Forward South Florida, a new initiative dedicated to ensuring that residents have access to the information they need to make informed decisions—regardless of where they live or what language they speak at home.
With $3 million in seed funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Press Forward South Florida will expand support and raise funds for local news initiatives in the region. Grantmaking is set to begin in late 2025.
“We believe local news encourages our community to ask more challenging questions, dig deeper into critical issues, and own our solutions,” said Rebecca Fishman Lipsey, president and CEO of The Miami Foundation, in a press release. “We are a region of newcomers—so many of us are born in another city, country, or culture. Local news can help us connect across differences, build a better future, and feel at home here in South Florida.”
Collaborative Partnerships for Stronger Local Journalism
Press Forward South Florida is a collaborative effort housed within The Miami Foundation and supported by:
- Community Foundation of Broward
- Coral Gables Community Foundation
- Key Biscayne Community Foundation
“Local news fuels understanding, builds a sense of community and—when necessary—empowers residents to take action for the community we love,” said Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Broward, in a press release. “As our local news outlets suffer from the national trend of diminished staffing and limited resources, support for Press Forward South Florida will strengthen and grow access to the quality local news that is essential to thriving communities.”
Currently, the initiative is conducting an assessment of the local media ecosystem and South Floridians’ news and information needs in partnership with:
- The American Journalism Project
- Florida International University’s Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center
- FIU’s School of Journalism and Media
The American Journalism Project has led similar media assessments in 14 communities nationwide to evaluate local information needs and the state of local news providers. The findings from this assessment will help shape Press Forward South Florida’s strategy.
Why Press Forward South Florida?
Local news outlets in South Florida and across the country are shrinking as advertising revenue shifts to social media and search platforms. At the same time, the region faces increasingly complex challenges—from climate change to economic mobility and affordable housing shortages.
Residents need accurate, reliable, and independent news to help them come together and find solutions. One of Press Forward South Florida’s primary goals is to support business sustainability for local news publishers.
Recognizing the urgency of this challenge, community foundations across three counties are working together for the first time to find solutions.
Press Forward South Florida is part of Press Forward, a national initiative working across 36 regions and states to strengthen communities through local journalism. The national Press Forward initiative is also housed at The Miami Foundation.
What Press Forward South Florida Will Do
1. Community Survey on Local News Needs
Press Forward South Florida aims to hear from 1,000 residents across Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties about their local news and information needs. Residents can participate in the survey at: https://bit.ly/localnewssurvey
2. Establishing a Collaborative Fund for Local News
The chapter is launching a collaborative fund to invest in local news in South Florida, with grantmaking beginning later this year.
“Press Forward is not just about providing financial aid to local newsrooms—it’s about fostering a deep and enduring commitment from the South Florida community to support local journalism,” said Jim Brady, Vice President for Journalism at Knight Foundation, in a press release. “We hope Press Forward South Florida will lay the groundwork for greater community investment in the future of news and information in the region.”
This is a Hy-Lo News Staff Report.
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