Rural News Fund Announces First Multi-Year Cohort, Investing in Eight News Organizations Across Central Appalachia

Written By AFN Coordinator

A new Press Forward Central Appalachia initiative supports local journalism as essential community infrastructure


Monday, February 9, 2026: Dedicated to expanding local news coverage and strengthening the business foundations of rural journalism, Press Forward’s Central Appalachia Chapter (PFCA) has selected eight news organizations for catalytic capital investments and business capacity support in the Rural News Fund’s (RNF) first open-call, multi-year program. As local news coverage continues to decline and rural newsrooms face persistent resource constraints, the Rural News Fund invests in community information systems that support health, safety, and quality of life.


Formed as a diverse cohort of for-profit, nonprofit, and public media organizations, these awardees will participate in a two-year program strengthening journalism and innovative business models that can support it. In the first year, awardees receive a $50,000 grant to build internal capacity, alongside free one-on-one coaching from experienced industry advisors (“Navigators”), peer learning opportunities, and shared spaces for collaboration. In year two, organizations may access up to $50,000 in additional flexible, repayable funding tailored to their needs, to help them diversify revenue and move toward longer-term financial sustainability. 


Rural News Fund Awardees:


Central Appalachia contains the highest concentration of news deserts in the country—a reality that underscores the urgency and significance of the Rural News Fund’s investments. Launched in 2025, the Rural News Fund is a collaborative initiative of Press Forward’s Central Appalachia Chapter, aligned with the national Press Forward movement to strengthen and revitalize local news. The Fund is led by the Appalachia Funders Network (AFN), in partnership with fund manager Invest Appalachia (IA), and in consultation with Media Growth Partners (MGP). With initial investments from Press Forward and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Rural News Fund recognizes the role of local news in supporting civic engagement, public accountability, and community safety, particularly in rural communities.


“In a time when far too many rural communities have watched their local newsrooms shutter and their civic life hollow, this new partnership is more than an investment. It’s a declaration. We hope to stand in the gap, not just to resist decline, but to catalyze a future where rural storytelling, accountability, and democracy are reborn. What we’re building through the Rural News Fund is not only historic for our region—it’s a national signal that rural places matter, that data-informed and community-driven news models can flourish, and that from these hills might emerge a blueprint for what’s possible across the country,” says Appalachia Funders Network Executive Director, Dr. Ryan M. Eller.


In addition to the first multi-year cohort, the Rural News Fund has provided early support to additional rural news organizations through rapid-response disaster reporting grants and related initiatives, reflecting a broader strategy to stabilize and strengthen local information ecosystems across Central Appalachia.


This open call was designed over the last year, focusing on news organizations with high potential for community impact and sustainability, local ownership and accountability, a commitment to serving rural and under-covered communities- particularly in news deserts and at-risk regions- and plans for expansion of coverage. Applications were reviewed by a regionally and nationally representative Coordinating Committee, incorporating both local context and broader industry expertise.


Invest Appalachia CEO Andrew Crosson explains why investing in locally rooted journalism is an economic development imperative. “In rural communities, local news is a cornerstone of civic engagement, local economies, and cultural identity. It is often the first line of response when disaster hits, translating complex information and keeping people connected when systems are under strain. Day to day, it supports accountability,  social participation, and local decision-making by giving people reliable information about what’s happening in their communities. This is not a niche issue. We’re investing in rural journalism as both a civic and economic necessity, using flexible and creative catalytic capital to help these organizations sustain their work in a rapidly changing landscape.”


MGP Managing Director Eli Flournoy leads the Rural News Fund Navigator team, alongside Benjy Hamm, Director of the Institute for Rural Journalism; former West Virginia Public Broadcasting CEO Scott Finn; and veteran public media executive John Davidow. Together, the team brings deep experience supporting small news organizations navigating editorial and business demands. “Small news business and editorial leaders are often the same person,” says Flournoy. “We designed the Navigator program to add essential capacity and peer cohort collaboration to small news business operations.”




Contact:
Kalista Pepper
Network & Membership Development Coordinator
Appalachia Funders Network
Kalista@appalachiafunders.org | (804)205-6710

AFN Coordinator
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