The Vermont Community Foundation Announces a Five-Year Initiative to Strengthen ...

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"We know that a robust media is critical to the democratic process, and that the contraction in newsroom employees in Vermont and across the nation often creates an information void, especially in smaller communities," says Holly Morehouse, VP for Grants & Community Impact at the Vermont Community Foundation.

That's why the foundation has launched a new chapter of Press Forward, a national coalition that aims to help communities by "re-imagining local news," the AP reports.

Over the next five years, Press Forward Vermont will work with media outlets across the state to create a "more comprehensive, more accessible, and more financially secure" local news landscape, according to a press release.

The Vermont chapter of Press Forward is part of a network of 25 local chapters that share a common goal.

"The challenge of rebuilding America's local news landscape is vast and will depend on strengthening local efforts alongside new investment by national funders, smart public policies, and a variety of other revenue approaches," Dale Anglin, director of Press Forward, says in the press release.

According to the Pew Research Center, US newspapers' weekday circulation dropped from 55.7 million to 24.3 million between 2000 and 2020, and Vermont has seen a steady decline in the newspaper workforce, with employment in the industry falling 75% from 2000

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