A new coalition of publishers and journalism supporters in Alaska has received a grant from a group of national funders, aimed at supporting local journalism. 

The Alaska News Coalition, a group which Chilkat Valley News publisher Rashah McChesney helped to found, will receive $100,0000 over two years as it works to find shared solutions to improve the finance and long-term sustainability of news organizations across Alaska. 

“The Press Forward grant will help immensely as the coalition embarks on its initial efforts, working to bring news organizations together in a common effort and assisting newspapers as they move more deeply into the digital world,” said news coalition co-founder and Wrangell Sentinel publisher Larry Persily. 

The funding will help the news coalition assess the needs of every newsroom in the state and develop and structure a plan to share resources. The aim is to collectively solve the problems facing Alaska’s newspapers with shared reporting and photography – which a collective of Southeast Alaska newspapers has been piloting – as well as business and legal services, and the expertise and technology involved in meaningfully transitioning from print to online. 

In all, seven Alaska news outlets were awarded Press Forward funding – chosen from a pool of 931 applicants nationwide. They are: 

  • Nome Nugget
  • KDLL Radio in Kenai
  • KCAW Raven Radio in Sitka
  • Copper River Record in Kenny Lake
  • KUCB Radio in Unalaska
  • Sol de Medianoche in Anchorage

Press Forward is a national initiative driven by a coalition of funders working to support and sustain local journalism. The current award is through the Open Call on Closing Coverage Gaps Grant which is focused specifically on local news organizations and particularly those in underserved areas like Sol de Medianoche, an outlet that reaches Spanish-speaking residents in Alaska. 

“Over the last few years,we have been slowly raising awareness of the importance of language access and creating a bridge between Alaska’s Latino community and the broader state,” said publisher Lina Mariscal. “This grant motivates us to continue moving forward. We are definitely ready to collaborate with the rest of the Alaskan grantees to continue strengthening the importance of local news and help understand what is at stake for us all.” 

The other founding members of the Alaska News Coalition are Elizabeth Arnold of Anchorage, Lisa Busch of Sitka, and Lisa Phu and McHugh Pierre, of Juneau. 

The nonprofit is currently operating as a special project fund at the Juneau Community Foundation. Donations toward that effort are accepted online.

If you’d like to know more about the Alaska News Coalition, reach out to Rashah McChesney at [email protected] or Larry Persily at 907-351-8276.