Appalachia Funders Network Named Pioneering Multi-State Press Forward Locals Chapter
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8 July 2024
Appalachia Funders Network (AFN), whose more than 70 members facilitate millions in annual investment in the Appalachian region, is launching Press Forward Central Appalachia, an initiative that will deeply invest in the local news sector, empowering community voices and press to lead the charge toward sustainable development and civic engagement.
Hazard, KY – July 8, 2024 – Appalachia Funders Network is excited to announce Press Forward Central Appalachia, a local chapter of the national Press Forward initiative. The first chapter of its kind, Press Forward Central Appalachia will cover a multi-state region across the mountain counties in Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.
Longitudinal research shows high civic engagement and vibrant local news ecosystems correlate with better health and economic well-being. Yet, 78% of central Appalachians live in news deserts, with many areas lacking local journalists. What’s more, Central Appalachian funders have just 1/10 the resources of national counterparts. The rural communities they serve are located at the cross-section of broadband, food, and healthcare deserts, exacerbated by public health crises like the opioid epidemic. Though this urgent disparity is keenly felt in our region, it reflects a nationwide trend.
To remedy this on a national scale, a coalition of nearly two dozen national funders formed Press Forward in 2023 to address news deserts and strengthen local news ecosystems in the U.S. Press Forward supports pooled funding, aligned grantmaking, and the Press Forward Locals initiative to bolster community news infrastructure. In naming AFN custodian of Press Forward Central Appalachia, the organization looks toward the critical democratic and economically transformative imperative of restoring news businesses in rural Appalachia communities.
Ryan Eller, Executive Director of AFN, emphasized the importance of this initiative. “Our communities have faced historic extraction and divestment, which have eroded the platforms we have to tell our own stories. Harmful stereotypes have further stigmatized us, portraying Appalachians as Beverly Hillbillies, or as characters from Deliverance, with national papers seeding the myth of the Hatfields and McCoys. Through it all, we know that we are not a people in need of an “elegy”. These misrepresentations only underscore the need for a civically engaged populace. Despite the cyclical issues from divestment, we are optimistic about empowering our neighbors and strengthening our news ecosystem by ensuring that 100% of these funds stay within the region. We may finally be able to tell more complete stories; those that will be for, by, and of the folk who are living them.”
To ensure the success of Press Forward Central Appalachia, AFN has partnered with Invest Appalachia, an impact investment non-profit, and Media Growth Partners, a veteran journalism business consultant who will provide technical assistance to awardees. While AFN and its partners build the internal mechanisms to steward the influx of capacity and power building resources, those interested in donating to the pooled fund can visit www.appalachiafunders.org/pressforward-updates to learn more. Press Forward Central Appalachia anticipates grantmaking to begin in Q2 2025.
Press Forward Central Appalachia aligns with AFN’s mission to ensure an equitable Appalachian transition by investing in media and journalism, particularly in resource-limited areas with rising levels of polarization. By providing national funders a trusted platform to invest long term into the region, this initiative will enhance civic engagement, stimulate economic growth, and empower communities to connect and shape their own narratives.
To learn more about Press Forward Central Appalachia, visit appalachiafunders.org/pressforward-centralappalachia.
About Appalachia Funders Network
Appalachia Funders Network (AFN) is a diverse coalition of cross-sector funders and other organizations committed to building more resilient Appalachian communities that elevate the ingenuity and promise of local solutions, thus accelerating an equitable Appalachian transition by convening and connecting funders for learning, analysis, and collaboration. The Network envisions a healthy, equitable, and vibrant region that, through strong partnerships, civic engagement, and leadership, preserves our unique assets and provides prosperity for all. Its work is focused on the Appalachian Regional Commission-designated counties in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. For more information, visit www.appalachiafunders.org.