Missouri Press Association
Serving Missouri Newspapers Since 1867
You’ve heard the phrase, “We’re reinventing the airplane as we’re flying it.” For Missouri’s local news outlets that’s an apt mantra.
Publishers and editors around the state are feverishly reinventing the local news business even as they work overtime to get their community news delivered every week in print and online.
They really have no choice. The traditional business model that has supported local news outlets for 150 years isn’t applicable anymore.
Local advertising and local subscriptions no longer are sufficient to support most local news in many Missouri towns.
A more ominous headline for this moment might be: Innovate or Die. And the last thing the Missouri Press Foundation wants is to watch any of Missouri’s 180-plus local news outlets wither away.
That’s why MPF has launched the Anne and Brian Brooks Innovation Fund.
Thanks to a generous pledge of $100,000 from Brian Brooks, outgoing president of the Missouri Press Foundation and a beloved retired faculty member after more than 40 years of work with the Missouri School of Journalism, the state’s local news operations now have a way to pursue new pathways toward long-term vitality.
The Brooks innovation Fund has a clear mission: “To link together the enduring values of journalism with innovative ideas and people that can help keep local news outlets thriving in Missouri.”
The Brooks Innovation Fund will work with leaders of the state’s news organizations to identify ideas and projects that can help sustain local news in any Missouri county. The University of Missouri’s county extension offices and the Mizzou J-school will be partners in helping vet and pressure test innovative ideas as they emerge. The fund anticipates distribution of $25,000 a year or more over the next three years to support local news innovations in the state.
Missouri already has a deep pool of innovative operators. Many good ideas already are being developed. Just a few examples:
- YouTube broadcasts of school sports with local advertising support (Houston Herald, Mexico Ledger);
- Services to help local businesses and organizations align their digital content on Instagram, Tik Tok and elsewhere (Weston Chronicle); and
- Community sponsorships to support additional reporting on important local issues (Leader Publications).
The Brooks Innovation Fund will help accelerate such efforts.
So far, the Brooks Innovation Fund has $125,000 in total pledges to commit to the state’s local news outlets. We want to do even more.
Consider your pledge. If you value local news and want your local news outlet to prosper, give to the Brooks Innovation Fund. Missouri communities and democracy will thank you.
