By Melissa Newman, Ed.D.
Executive Director, Press Forward Bluegrass
The Woodford Sun’s transition from a for-profit community newspaper to a nonprofit news organization represents more than a change in business structure. It shows what happens when a local newsroom, its community, philanthropy and journalism-support organizations work together to build a more sustainable future for local news.
Press Forward Blue Grass, an initiative of Blue Grass Community Foundation, has proudly worked alongside The Woodford Sun throughout that journey.
The Woodford Sun has engaged deeply with Press Forward Blue Grass across multiple areas of its work, from investing in reporting capacity and strengthening its digital presence to developing new fundraising opportunities and building connections with local, regional and national partners.
That engagement has made The Woodford Sun a strong example of the ecosystem Press Forward Blue Grass is working to build for local news organizations across Kentucky.
“The Woodford Sun has embraced what is possible when a local newsroom engages with the entire support ecosystem around local news,” said Melissa Newman, Ed.D., executive director of Press Forward Blue Grass. “They have participated in programs focused on journalists, digital transformation, technical assistance and fundraising, while continuing to deepen their relationship with the community they serve. This is exactly what we mean when we talk about investing in sustainability rather than dependency.”
Investing in local reporting
through Report for America
One of the earliest opportunities for collaboration came through Press Forward Blue Grass’s partnership with Report for America.
Through the Report for America pilot, The Woodford Sun helped strengthen local reporting capacity while creating pathways for journalists to build careers in the communities they serve.
The model goes beyond placing a journalist in a newsroom. Participating organizations receive support to build the fundraising and organizational capacity necessary to sustain reporting positions.
For Press Forward Blue Grass, that long-term approach is critical. The goal is not simply to add reporting capacity for a year or two, but to help local news organizations develop the resources and relationships needed to keep journalists working in their communities.
Strengthening The Woodford Sun’s digital future
The Woodford Sun also received support through Press Forward Blue Grass’s grantmaking program to strengthen and expand its digital news presence.
That investment includes technical assistance as the newspaper works to enhance how it reaches audiences online, distributes its journalism, develops digital products and strengthens revenue opportunities.
For a longstanding community newspaper such as The Woodford Sun, digital transformation does not mean leaving its history or identity behind. It means readers can still get the journalism they have relied upon for generations in the ways people consume information today. It also means creating new opportunities to support that journalism financially.
Turning local giving into greater investment
The next phase of The Woodford Sun’s work demonstrates another important piece of the sustainability equation: giving the community an opportunity to directly invest in its local news.
The Woodford Sun is participating in Bluegrass Gives, Blue Grass Community Foundation’s annual Giving Tuesday fundraiser on Dec. 1 at bggives.org. Through the campaign, the newspaper can earn up to $1,500 in matching funds from Press Forward Blue Grass. Blue Grass Community Foundation and its Bluegrass Gives co-investors add more matching dollars on top of that, helping donations to The Woodford Sun go further.
Local News Day gives The Woodford Sun another opportunity to build support on April 8. Gifts from individuals, businesses and community organizations can unlock up to $10,000 in matching funds for local journalism.
Together, the two campaigns demonstrate how philanthropic dollars can serve as a catalyst for local support, not a replacement for it.
“At Blue Grass Community Foundation, we believe people build strong, healthy communities when they invest together in the institutions that serve them. Trusted local news is one of those institutions,” said Lisa Adkins, president and CEO of Blue Grass Community Foundation. “Woodford County’s response shows what is possible when residents recognize that they have a role in ensuring reliable local information remains available for generations to come.”
A model for the local news ecosystem
The Woodford Sun’s experience demonstrates the potential of connecting a local newsroom to a larger network of support.
Through its engagement with Press Forward Blue Grass, the newspaper has connected with resources at multiple levels: national journalism organizations, regional philanthropy, local philanthropy, technical assistance, professional expertise and, increasingly, individual community supporters.
Each serves a different purpose.
National partnerships can bring expertise and investment into Kentucky. Regional organizations can help connect resources to the needs of local newsrooms. Philanthropy can provide the capital needed to experiment, modernize and build capacity. Technical assistance can help news organizations develop new skills and revenue strategies.
But ultimately, sustainable local news needs the support of the community it serves.
That is why the response of the Woodford County community to the Sun’s nonprofit transition is particularly encouraging to both Press Forward Blue Grass and Blue Grass Community Foundation.
The future of local news includes the community
The future of local news will not be built by journalists alone.
Residents have always been part of the news process. They are readers, subscribers, sources, tipsters, business owners, community leaders and neighbors. They identify the questions their communities need answered and the stories that need to be told.
Increasingly, communities will also have an important role in financially supporting the trusted local news and information they want to preserve.
The Woodford Sun and Press Forward Blue Grass believe the future of local journalism depends on communities not simply consuming news but participating in the information ecosystem that sustains it.
Reliable local information helps people understand what is happening in their schools, local governments, businesses and neighborhoods. It provides accountability and explanation. It preserves community memory. It connects neighbors to one another and gives residents the information they need to participate in decisions affecting the places they call home.
Since 1869, The Woodford Sun has provided that service to Woodford County.
Now, The Woodford Sun is demonstrating how a longstanding local news organization can honor its history while building for the future. Its transition to nonprofit status and its willingness to engage with new approaches to reporting, technology, philanthropy and community support make that possible.
For Press Forward Blue Grass, The Woodford Sun’s journey is also an example of the larger opportunity ahead: when local news organizations, communities, philanthropy and journalism partners work together, they can build something none of them could build alone.
About Press Forward Blue Grass
Press Forward Blue Grass, an initiative of Blue Grass Community Foundation, works to strengthen local news and information ecosystems through investment, convening and education. Serving communities throughout Central and Appalachia Kentucky, the organization supports local journalism, builds newsroom capacity, develops future journalists and advances community-centered approaches to ensuring all Kentuckians have access to reliable local information. Learn more about pressforwardbg.org.
About Blue Grass Community Foundation
Blue Grass Community Foundation puts philanthropy to work to grow more generous, vibrant, equitable and engaged communities across Central and Appalachia Kentucky. BGCF connects individuals, families and businesses with the causes they care about and leads on issues that matter to the region. We’re in it for good. Learn more at bgcf.org.