A coalition of Mississippi foundations that see the connection between strong communities and quality local news is announcing its first initiatives.

Press Forward Mississippi will be investing in two strategic projects designed for broad impact: A statewide collaborative reporting pilot project among 23 local outlets, and a training program to equip 15 public high schools in Mississippi to start new journalism programs. The coalition has committed $50,000 toward each initiative.

Additionally, Press Forward Mississippi is hosting its second statewide media conference on Oct. 30 in Hattiesburg. The Mississippi Community Journalism Workshop is open to anyone working to support local news in Mississippi. Registration is open now.

Press Forward Mississippi is part of a national network, with chapters across the country working to strengthen local news so communities stay informed, connected and engaged. The chapter’s vision is to see Mississippi communities enriched by fact-based journalism that bridges perspectives and empowers civic engagement. It is overseen by the executive officers of five Mississippi foundations, with the Tupelo-based CREATE Foundation serving as lead funder.

“As community-based funders, we know that if you want to raise quality of life, people need to know what’s going on and why, and how they can get involved,” said Mike Clayborne, CEO of the CREATE Foundation. “We need quality local news that serves this role in our communities.”

About Press Forward

Since launching in 2023, Press Forward’s national, non-partisan network of funders has grown five-fold and invested $400 million in local news. 

These funders had seen how vital local news is to communities: Cities and towns with strong local news are less divided and better able to tackle issues pragmatically, and they have more candidates run for office and higher voter turnout. Civic participation is stronger in communities with local news, with more volunteering and public involvement. 

For many years, advertising covered most of the costs of producing local news. But as audiences and advertisers have moved online, much of that revenue now goes to large digital platforms instead of local outlets. 

Rather than trying to fill the ad-revenue gap with philanthropic dollars, these foundations aimed to invest strategically. They have sought to scale new business models into new locations, to strengthen technical and operational infrastructure that could benefit the industry as a whole, and to encourage more diversity among the voices that produce local news in America. 

About Press Forward Mississippi

Shortly after Press Forward’s launch, leaders across the country sought to get involved. Press Forward created local chapters, and Mississippi joined in 2024; it is now one of 40+ nationwide.   CREATE volunteered to lead the effort in Mississippi and contributed $100,000 to establish a pooled fund, intended for statewide benefit. 

The Mississippi chapter started by developing a state-specific mission and vision. It also worked to identify its areas of interest — three broad goals that both Mississippi’s community foundations and its media outlets could share. This enabled the Mississippi chapter to apply for and receive a $250,000 catalyst grant from the national network to begin moving its effort forward.

The Press Forward Mississippi steering committee includes Clayborne alongside Jane Alexander, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for Mississippi; Christen Duhé, President and Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation; Lloyd Gray, Executive Director of the Phil Hardin Foundation; and Darla Herrin, Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Washington County.

In addition to being Northeast Mississippi’s community foundation, CREATE has a unique relationship with journalism. It was founded by Tupelo newspaper publisher George McLean. Today, the foundation owns the parent company of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal and five other community newspapers in the region. 

“Local news can be a positive force in building a strong community, and that’s something we’ve learned a lot about here in Tupelo,” Clayborne said. “Across the state, we as community foundation leaders from different parts of Mississippi all want to advance the quality of life in our regions. When local news helps people come together and get involved, it becomes an important part of that puzzle.”

Press Forward Mississippi’s funder coalition is advised by a committee of 19 media leaders from around the state. This group spans print, digital and broadcast media, including mom-and-pop businesses, corporate entities, nonprofit organizations and journalism schools. Members of the advisory group have contributed their time and expertise to informing the vision for Mississippi’s chapter and helping define shared priorities.

The First Initiatives

Rather than investing in individual news outlets from its pooled fund, Press Forward Mississippi is focusing on statewide efforts and collaborative work that individual outlets can’t do by themselves. Separate from the pooled fund, Mississippi foundations are also investing in journalism-related projects that are locally or topically focused.

Here’s a look at the coalition’s first initiatives:

Local Reporting for Statewide Impact

Press Forward Mississippi has tapped respected publisher Tim Kalich, who recently retired from the Greenwood Commonwealth, to lead a pilot news collaborative reporting project in fall 2025 in partnership with the Mississippi Press Association.

This collaborative editorial effort will support local newsrooms in covering a statewide issue through their local lenses. The goal is to demonstrate the importance and impact of local news, contribute to stronger public understanding and support informed policymaking in Mississippi. 

Expanding Journalism in Mississippi High Schools

Press Forward Mississippi has partnered with nonprofit The Bell, which recently launched the Jackson Youth Newsroom, to replicate a New York City-based program that is training and equipping new journalism programs in the city’s public schools.

The Mississippi effort seeks to identify 15 schools across the state that are ready to start journalism programs. It will provide teacher training, equipment, mentorship and partnerships with local newsrooms and universities. The program will provide a bridge for these new programs into the existing support network of the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association.

For Press Forward Mississippi, the goal is multifaceted: To give more students access to the communication skills, civic awareness and media literacy that journalism programs offer — and to grow the pipeline of future journalists in the state.

Connecting Mississippians for Local News

Because pursuing a shared purpose starts with building relationships, Press Forward Mississippi has been investing in statewide media convenings as the backbone of its effort.

In the spring, it held the 2025 Local News Summit at the University of Mississippi, building upon an inaugural 2024 statewide convening hosted by the UM School of Journalism and New Media. This fall, it is teaming up with the University of Southern Mississippi’s Roy Howard Community Journalism Center and the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association to host the first Mississippi Community Journalism Workshop. It is set for Thursday, Oct. 30, on the Southern Miss campus. This event for professionals will be held concurrently with the MSPA’s fall convention, which brings some 400 high-school students and their advisors together for workshops and awards.

How to get involved

• To learn more about Press Forward Mississippi and follow this effort, visit pressforwardms.org and sign up for email communications.
• To join the conversation and get connected, register for the 2025 Mississippi Community Journalism Workshop and join us at Southern Miss on Oct. 30. Look for the agenda and event details online.
• To connect as a funder who shares the goal of strengthening Mississippi communities, contact Mike Clayborne at the CREATE Foundation or any member of the steering committee.
• For more on the nationwide Press Forward movement, visit pressforward.news.