By Michael Bielawski
A local media outlet covering Windham County has announced they are getting $100,000 to support its reporting efforts. The money ultimately comes from a foundation that distributes 100’s of millions for social-justice-oriented causes, though it is being announced locally for “community listening and collaboration.”
The large grant from Press Forward is part of a trend in which Vermont newspapers are turning to non-profits for funding in the face of declining advertising and paid circulation, the traditional sources of newspaper revenue.
The Vermont Independent Media/The Commons is notable as among the first newspapers in the nation recognized as a 501c3 non-profit by the IRS.
“Vermont Independent Media and its online/print news outlet, The Commons, have received a $100,000 grant to support its local coverage from Press Forward, the nationwide movement to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news. The Commons joins 205 local newsrooms across the country that are filling critical information gaps and working in service of their communities. More than 900 news outlets applied for funding,” stated a press release by The Commons.
Press Forward’s website notes they exist as part of a larger effort. It states, “Press Forward operates under the fiscal sponsorship of The Miami Foundation. The coalition is U.S. based and not affiliated with the Canadian media association Press Forward.”
The Miami Foundation has controlled billions of dollars in resources, and its site promotes messages associated with left-leaning activism.Although they’ve invested billions into the Miami area, they also distribute 100s of millions to political causes nationwide.
“We’ve partnered with individuals, families and corporations who have created more than 1,000 personalized, philanthropic Funds. Thanks to them and their generosity, the Foundation has awarded $505 million in grants. Today, we manage close to $427 million to address the community’s needs now for a more resilient tomorrow,” their site states.
According to InfuenceWatch.org, the foundation has its share of large contributors.
“The Miami Foundation’s racial equity program has received funding from companies and organizations including Facebook, the Jorge M. Perez Foundation, JP Morgan Chase, Amalgamated Foundation, the Edward S. Moore Family Foundation, the Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation, the Five Together Foundation, the Bacardi Family Foundation, Google, and Wells Fargo.”
The Foundation’s site highlights some of their leftwing activism. One section states, “In June 2020, we launched The Racial Equity Fund to address the persistent systemic racism in America and our community.”
They also have the LGBTQ+ Equity Fund. This supports, “Foundations, corporations, and individual partners are coming together to ensure the safety, rights, and well-being of our LGBTQ+ family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and classmates in South Florida.”
The Common’s presser presents the funding as nonpartisan.
“Each application was scored and evaluated using a rubric that favored newsrooms filling news gaps with strong, community-based leadership, a plan for sustainability and a track record of community listening and collaboration. Vermont Independent Media/The Commons is the only Vermont media outlet selected to receive a grant.”
News editor Randy Holhut is quoted on the purpose of the grant.
“For years, the readers have asked us to do more and expand coverage and we’ve lacked the resources to do what they wanted us to do. This grant is a transformational moment for our newsroom. It’s the start of what we hope will be more national journalism nonprofits looking at what we do and seeing that it’s a model for other news organizations around America,” he said.
A new Gallup poll from earlier this month shows that Americans generally distrust the media.
“For the third consecutive year, more U.S. adults have no trust at all in the media (36%) than trust it a great deal or fair amount. Another 33% of Americans express “not very much” confidence.”
The author is a writer for Vermont Daily Chronicle, a for-profit news outlet.