our mission: to restore Local News in central appalachia through sustained investment in local journalism
By leveraging regional and national partnerships, we aim to reduce news deserts, foster community-led narrative change, and bolster the economic viability of our communities through strong local news and information ecosystems.
Our mission is to enhance civic engagement, stimulate economic growth, and empower communities to shape their own narratives and thrive through sustained investment in local journalism.
77% of Central Appalachian Counties are News Deserts
According to the Medill 2024 State of Local News report, 200 out of the 257 counties that make up the Central Appalachian regions of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia are now designated as “News Deserts.”
The Rural News Fund will provide flexible working capital, technology, and expertise for the restoration of local news within the nation’s largest concentration of news deserts.
a coalition of appalachian funders, powered by press Forward
With support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Rural News Fund is a program of the Press Forward Central Appalachia Chapter.
Launched in 2025, this chapter is anchored by a partnership between Appalachia Funders Network members, fund manager Invest Appalachia, and news technology and business model consultancy Media Growth Partners.
“We must have permanent, factual, and sustained information infrastructure at a hyper-local level to secure effective emergency communications within communities, and to maintain connection with state and national information networks.”
— Eli Flournoy, Media Growth Partners Managing Editor and Press Forward Central Appalachia Co-chair