Press Forward NM Open Call
Press Forward NM Open Call 2024
Program Guidelines Press Forward New Mexico’s first open call will address long-standing inequities in journalism coverage and practice in New Mexico by investing in small, local newsrooms that provide original reporting to underserved communities.
This open call focuses on the following funding priority: Closing long-standing inequalities in journalism coverage and practice.
Press Forward will move resources to newsrooms and organizations that are improving diversity of experience and thought along with the availability of accurate and responsive news and information in underserved communities.
Through this Open Call on Closing Local Coverage Gaps, local New Mexico newsrooms will receive up to $20,000 each in unrestricted funds.
We welcome applications for news organizations that serve the news needs of New Mexicans in other languages. If you would like to submit the application in another language we can arrange for translation services.
These program guidelines include eligibility requirements, application instructions, evaluation criteria, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), and more. We recommend that you review this document in its entirety before beginning the application process. All further questions should be directed to rashad@nmlocalnews.org
Applications close on Tuesday October 15, 2024, at 11:59 pm MT. Awards will be announced later in the year.
Eligibility Requirements This open call will invest in small, local news outlets that provide original reporting to underserved communities. Press Forward NM understands that addressing this growing crisis in news and information will require a variety of solutions and models.
Eligible applicants must be local news outlets focused on providing and producing original local reporting.
Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:
- An operating budget of less than $1 million for 2024, separate from the rest of any parent company budget for newsrooms.
- In operation and publishing since at least January 1, 2024.
- A commitment to editorial excellence, editorial independence, and transparency.
Applicants can be:
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or for-profit organizations
- For-profits with or without an established 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor
- University or college student newsrooms producing original reporting that is community-facing
The following types of organizations are not eligible to apply:
- Outlets in which the majority of content is not focused on local news
- Organizations with an operating budget greater than $1 million for 2024
- Start-up organizations that have not been publishing since at least January 1, 2024
- 501(c)(4) organizations
Grant Awards
Press Forward New Mexico intends to offer $80,000 in grants of up to $20,000 each to New Mexico-based newsrooms. All grants will be unrestricted. This means all grants will be made with the intention of serving as mission-building, general operating support.
- Grants will be awarded in two installments.
- The expected grant period will be one year, December 1, 2024 – December 1, 2025.
- Grantees will be required to submit a short report after 6 months in order to receive the second grant installment.
- Press Forward New Mexico reserves the right to award amounts that fit for each newsroom.
- Grantees will be eligible for and encouraged to participate in grantee capacity building opportunities at the New Mexico Local News Fund throughout the life of the grant.
Evaluation Criteria & Review Process
We encourage applicants to review these criteria as they prepare their grant applications, as Press Forward NM will prioritize applications that demonstrate the following:
Addressing gaps in coverage | We will prioritize organizations that are producing and delivering news and information to underserved audiences, such as communities of color, linguistically diverse communities, low-wealth rural communities, and others not adequately served, reached, or represented.
Community-centered | We will support news outlets that can demonstrate a commitment to community listening and audience research, especially those intentionally gathering audience feedback to guide their work.
Collaboration | We will prioritize organizations that have evidence of strong networks and partnerships with members of their community.
Sustainability | Using the Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers’ definition of sustainability as a framework, we will prioritize outlets that are intentional about their editorial impact, operational resilience, and/or financial health. We will support organizations that have a clear plan for how they will use this investment as a foundational step toward developing and maintaining a long-term business model.
Leadership | We will support leaders who reflect the community served, listen to the community, and have a clear vision for how to effectively serve the local news needs of the community.
Press Forward NM will recruit a diverse and well-informed review panel for this open call. Reviewers will provide subject matter expertise and guidance to Press Forward NM on which applicants are best positioned to have the desired community impact. Reviewers will be sourced from the Press Forward NM steering committee and/or advisory committee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Open Call Criteria
Why is this open call limited to small newsrooms?
Small newsrooms do important original reporting but are often less likely to be reached by institutional funders and have a harder time getting the attention of donors. In recent years, the number of local news start-ups meeting local needs has grown, and we are trying to meet the field where it is.
What do you mean by “underserved communities”?
Press Forward NM wants to ensure that local coverage meets the needs of communities of color, linguistically diverse communities, low-wealth rural communities, and others not adequately served, reached, or represented.
What is considered local news?
Our definition for “local” has been adapted from the LION Publishers membership criteria: “The majority of content must be focused on local news and/or geographically-constrained communities. National news should be written through a local lens or context.”
Press Forward NM is seeking to fund outlets that are closing coverage gaps by meeting the needs of underrepresented audiences and understands this may look differently in every community.
We recommend you review the criteria above and the FAQs in full to determine if your organization meets the requirements as we are unable to make such determinations.
Eligibility Requirements
What type of organizations are eligible to apply? Nonprofit and for-profit news outlets with annual operating budgets of less than $1 million for 2024 are eligible to apply. The outlets must be in operation and publishing since at least January 1, 2024.
Can public media apply?
Yes, public media is eligible to apply if the organization meets the eligibility criteria. Press Forward NM reserves the right to discern if an organization meets the established criteria and will do so on a case-by-case basis. For public media outlets that produce non-news programming, the budget should only encompass the newsroom.
What if I’m not eligible to apply to this open call?
Press Forward NM will host additional open calls in the future.
If I apply for this Open Call, am I eligible for future Press Forward NM funding?
Organizations can apply to multiple funding opportunities, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria.
My news organization is located outside of the United States. Am I eligible?
No. This open call is only for local new organizations located and reporting on issues in New Mexico.
I am a local news outlet with a budget less than $1 million, but am part of a parent organization with a budget over $1 million. Am I eligible? Yes, as long as you meet all of the additional criteria. When applying, please answer all questions pertaining to only the local news outlet and not the parent company.
There are multiple small, local news outlets that are part of a parent organization. Can more than one outlet apply?
Yes – You will need to submit a unique application and include a note that the outlet is part of a parent organization for each outlet.
I have a great project that is making a positive impact on the journalism space but am not a newsroom. Can I apply?
No, this open call is only for local newsrooms that provide original reporting to underserved communities.
Are IRS 501(c)(4)s eligible to apply with a fiscal sponsor?
No, 501(c)(4)s are not eligible to apply for this open call on Closing Local Coverage Gaps.
Are radio stations that produce local news only part of the time eligible?
This open call is focused on investing in small, local newsrooms that provide original reporting to underserved communities. The key in this instance is original. If your radio station provides original reporting to underserved communities, and meets all the additional required criteria, then you are eligible to apply.
Review Process
Who will be reviewing my application?
Press Forward NM will recruit a diverse and well-informed review panel for this open call. Reviewers will provide subject matter expertise and guidance to Press Forward NM on which applicants are best positioned to have the desired community impact. Reviewers will be sourced from the Press Forward NM advisory committee and steering committee.
What if I still have questions?
All further questions should be directed to rashad@nmlocalnews.org
Open Call on Closing Local Coverage Gaps: Scoring Rubric
We encourage applicants to review the below rubric as they prepare their grant applications, as Press Forward New Mexico will prioritize those that demonstrate the following criteria.
Press Forward NM will prioritize organizations that are producing and delivering news and information to underserved audiences, such as communities of color, linguistically diverse communities, low-wealth rural communities, and others not adequately served, reached, or represented.
Note: This rubric is based on the open call from the national Press Forward earlier this year.
1. Addressing Gaps in Coverage
How does it measure?
20 points | Extensive Experience: The organization excels at providing news and information to underserved audiences. Without the organization, the audience would not have consistent or reliable local news.
15 points | Relevant Experience: The organization does provide news and information to underserved audiences. Without the organization, the audience would not have consistent or reliable local news.
10 points | Some Experience: The organization does provide some news and information to underserved audiences, but there are other outlets that serve the same audiences in more comprehensive ways.
5 points | Little Experience: The organization does not provide news and information to underserved audiences, but is looking for funding to produce and deliver news to an underserved audience within the next six months.
0 points | No Experience: The organization does not provide news and information to underserved audiences.
Press Forward NM will support news outlets that can demonstrate a commitment to community listening and audience research, especially those intentionally gathering audience feedback to guide their work.
2. Community-centered
How does it measure?
20 points | Extensive Experience: The organization excels at demonstrating a commitment to community listening and audience research, and implements audience feedback.
15 points | Relevant Experience: The organization does demonstrate a commitment to community listening and audience research, and implements audience feedback.
10 points | Some Experience: The organization attempts to demonstrate a commitment to community listening and audience research, but has not successfully implemented audience feedback.
5 points | Little Experience: The organization does not fully demonstrate a commitment to community listening and audience research, but plans to gather and implement audience feedback within the next six months.
0 points | No Experience: The organization does not demonstrate a commitment to community listening and audience research.
3. Collaboration
How does it measure?
20 points | Extensive Experience: The organization shows strong evidence of collaborating deeply with multiple strong networks and having partnerships within its community.
15 points | Relevant Experience: The organization shows meaningful evidence of collaborating with a strong network or having a partnership within its community.
10 points | Some Experience: The organization shows some evidence of collaborating with a network(s) and having partnership(s) within its community, but it is limited.
5 points | Little Experience: The organization does not yet collaborate, but plans to collaborate with its community.
0 points | No Experience: The organization does not collaborate or plan to collaborate with its community.
4. Sustainability
How does it measure?
20 points | Extensive Experience: The organization has a sustainable business model and is intentional about its editorial impact, operational resilience, and financial health (3 out of 3). The organization has a clear plan for how it would use funding to sustain its business.
15 points | Relevant Experience: The organization is intentional about its editorial impact, operational resilience, or financial health (2 out of 3), but has a clear plan for how it would use funding as a foundational step towards complete sustainability.
10 points | Some Experience: The organization is intentional about its editorial impact, operational resilience, or financial health (1 out of 3) and has some plans for how it would use funding as a foundational step towards sustainability.
5 points | Little Experience: The organization is not intentional about its editorial impact, operational resilience, or financial health yet, but has a clear plan for how it would use funding as a foundational step towards sustainability.
0 points | No Experience: The organization is not intentional about its editorial impact, operational resilience, or financial health, and does not have a clear plan it intends to implement in the near future.
5. Community Leadership
How does it measure?
20 points | Extensive Experience: The organization has leaders who reflect the community served, listen to the community, and have a clear vision for how to effectively serve the local news needs of the community. The leaders are exceeding expectations at implementing their vision.
15 points | Relevant Experience: The organization has leaders who reflect the community served, listen to the community, and have a clear vision for how to effectively serve the local news needs of the community. The leaders are successfully implementing their vision.
10 points | Some Experience: The organization has leaders who reflect the community served, listen to the community, and have a vision for how to effectively serve the local news needs of the community. The leaders are ideating how to activate their vision.
5 points | Little Experience: The organization has a leader(s) who reflect(s) the community served, listen to the community, or has a vision of how to effectively serve the local news needs of the community.
0 points | No Experience: The organization does not have community leadership.