AP Fund for Journalism today announced significant commitments from several organizations, including the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Lilly Endowment Inc. and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, that will help power its first-of-its kind local news program to support the U.S. local news ecosystem.
The combined investment of more than $30 million – including a significant $25 million commitment from Knight Foundation – will allow APFJ to deliver nonpartisan, factual content and essential services that support 100 additional state and local newsrooms in 2026 and 300 by 2028. This backing will help those newsrooms serve their audiences, widen their reach, and strengthen their business operations.
Launched earlier this year with initial support from the Google News Initiative and Knight Foundation, the program has already supported a pilot project that to date has provided nearly 50 participating newsrooms with access to AP content including photos and video. The news organizations also receive personalized newsroom services to help them deliver timely and relevant localized news to their audiences.
Created in 2024 by The Associated Press, APFJ’s mission is to support public service journalism and make it accessible to an ever-widening group of state and local news organizations in the U.S. Earlier this year Lilly Endowment approved a two-year, $5 million grant to help APFJ launch and scale its efforts to ensure that more individuals nationwide have access to accurate and trustworthy news and information.
“The reality of the local news crisis in the U.S. means that many Americans continue to lack access to reliable reporting on issues that affect everyday life,” said APFJ CEO Rachel White. “News deserts are growing; local news outlets are under relentless pressure; and trusted journalism is becoming harder to find. APFJ is a landmark initiative tackling these challenges head on. Building on the strong results of our pilot program – which showed measurable gains in audience growth and engagement for participating outlets — we are now transforming this essential offering into a scalable, national civic infrastructure program. This will continue to help local outlets respond faster, reach wider audiences and engage their communities more deeply, all while setting the stage for long-term sustainability.”
Today’s announcement is the latest milestone for APFJ, which has in the past year created a pilot version of the local news program; installed a board of directors; and launched a new website. For more information, visit apfj.org.