Post updated at 10:23 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16:
The Lawrence Times, filling key gaps in local Lawrence news, has been recognized with a grant that will help us expand the breadth and depth of our impact.
The publication, which is Lawrence’s only locally owned community news outlet, was selected as one of 205 publications out of more than 900 applicants to be part of the first Press Forward cohort.
Press Forward describes itself as “a national movement to strengthen our democracy by revitalizing local news and information.” In April, the organization put out an open call among local newsrooms with operating budgets of less than $1 million for 2024 that provide original reporting in underserved communities, according to the Press Forward Interim Report, issued in June.
Recipients will receive $100,000 in unrestricted funds over two years and “Must demonstrate a commitment to editorial excellence, editorial independence, and transparency.”
The Lawrence Times was one of only eight publications selected as part of the first Press Forward cohort that does not target a particular subgroup of a population, but rather the community as a whole.
“Local news is alive and thriving in Lawrence, Kansas, and I am honored every day to be in this role and charged with the duty of informing our community about what’s going on,” Times reporter and founder Mackenzie Clark said. “This grant means that our industry peers have taken notice of what we’re doing and recognize that we are the future of local news.”
The Times currently operates with just two full-time staff members. All other contributors are part-timers and freelancers. We believe our output already exceeds reasonable expectations of such a small team. As we told the Press Forward team, our biggest problem is that the community needs more of us. With this funding and growth of community support, we anticipate expanding this news team to continue doing this work and do even more of it.
Although this funding is not a matching grant, we know that if we can double it, our potential will be incredible. We will need about 530 new subscribers each year at $7.85 per month to meet that goal over the next two years.
That sounds like a lot, but it’s just a little more than 1% of Lawrence’s population. And we know that many folks will be willing to throw their support behind quality local news and information, especially as it continues to grow stronger.
“This grant is an incredible opportunity and, like every dollar we bring in, we’re going to stretch it so far,” Clark said. “But supporting the Times and helping us grow is now more crucial than ever.”
This publication is also a member of Local Independent Online News Publishers. Earlier this year, through LION, we completed a sustainability audit that has provided further insight into how we can ensure the Times sticks around for years to come.
Learn more about the many ways that you can support the Times and help us grow and expand at this link.
There are Press Forward publications in every state, forming a mosaic of independent, nonpartisan news sources like us that are reimagining what local news looks like.
Our team is thrilled to congratulate our industry colleagues and friends at Good Morning Indian Country and the Kansas City Defender who have also been recognized for their work. We also congratulate the other Kansas publication to receive this recognition, the Iola Register.
We look forward to sharing more in the coming days and weeks about what this Press Forward opportunity means for us, and for you.
“We would never have made it this far without you, our readers. We are forever grateful to each and every one of you,” Clark said. “Thank you for your support, your readership, and for caring about our community.”
The Lawrence Times started publishing March 8, 2021. It has remained a paywall-free source of local news since day one because we believe income should not determine whether someone can access critical news and information about their community.
If our local journalism matters to you, please help us keep doing this work.
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This post is by the Lawrence Times news team.
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Andrea Albright/Lawrence Times
