Reported 8 months ago
The Associated Press is creating a separate organization to raise funds in support of state and local news reporting amid a continuing crisis in the industry. This new entity, with an independent board of directors, will seek philanthropic donations to enhance news coverage within the AP and through external outlets. The AP has received grants totaling $60.9 million over seven years to expand its coverage, particularly in areas like climate and religion. The local news sector has drastically declined, with the number of newspaper journalists decreasing from 75,000 to 31,000 since 2002, prompting the AP to collaborate with nonprofit news outlets to strengthen its coverage. Various foundations have invested in initiatives to develop sustainable models for independent local news sources, with concerns raised about the impact of misinformation and partisan news outlets on elections.
Source: YAHOO