We believe that a multiracial democracy and the civic health of our communities are dependent on a local-news system that meets people’s needs, represents its communities, is antiracist and prioritizes people over profits.

The structure of our current media system — who owns it, how it’s paid for and produced, and how it’s accessed — is the result of public policies. Some of those policies have helped protect an independent public-interest press, but many have also benefited large corporations and hedge funds, outright harmed communities and fueled the local-news crisis that is hurting millions of people across the country.

To change local news, we don’t just need new practices and revenue models. We also need bold policies to ensure individuals and communities have the news and information they need to organize action, solve problems, hold power to account and feel connected to one another.

It’s a place where like-minded people can build a shared analysis about our media system and help win policies that benefit their communities. We share resources and ideas and host discussions to engage in the most pressing media-policy debates happening right now.

In places where local news has declined or disappeared — and in places that never had an equitable media system to begin with — a movement has emerged to fill in the gaps and reach people with models that center equity. 

To cultivate and sustain these new models, we need transformative public policies that focus on meeting communities’ information needs. The Media Power Collaborative is a home for leaders across this movement — people in legacy institutions, in noncommercial startups and in public media; people who are “professional” reporters and those outside the traditional journalism space who create media for and with the public; researchers and funders who align themselves with the civic media movement; and anyone who sees a role they can play that leads to more informed, engaged and equitable communities. 

The Media Power Collaborative, which Free Press launched in 2022, is where civic-media leaders join together to learn how public policy impacts their work. It’s a place where like-minded people can build a shared analysis about our media system and help win policies that benefit their communities. We share resources and ideas and host discussions to engage in the most pressing media-policy debates happening right now.

We have a window of opportunity before us: Policymakers are finally paying attention to the accelerating and alarming decline of local commercial media. The people building the future of civic media need a seat at the table. The Media Power Collaborative provides the analysis, the coalition infrastructure and the campaign expertise to win bold victories. We’d love to have you along with us. Join by signing up here.

The Media Power Collaborative is coordinated by Free Press, a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization fighting for your rights to connect and communicate. Free Press is working to create a world where people have the information and opportunities they need to tell their own stories, hold leaders accountable and participate in our democracy.

Contributions from individuals and charitable foundations make our work possible. We don’t take a cent from business, government or political parties — our independence is too important — so every dollar you give makes a real and lasting difference. Learn more at freepress.net.