EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. (Oct. 16, 2024) — The Excelsior Citizen, the leading source of local news for Excelsior Springs, has been selected as one of 205 small, independent newsrooms across the United States to receive funding from the Press Forward Foundation. This recognition comes after a rigorous vetting process that involved 114 expert reviewers from the journalism and philanthropy communities, emphasizing the Excelsior Citizen‘s professionalism and commitment to quality journalism.
“These newsrooms are proof that we are seeing a moment of transformation, where new and longstanding leaders are stepping up to create a new story for local news,” said Dale R. Anglin, Director of Press Forward. “Each of these newsrooms plays a vital public service role in its community – providing trustworthy local news and information in places where no other sources may exist. Independent newsrooms need community support to survive. We hope that more people will subscribe and donate to them.”
As part of this historic cohort, the Excelsior Citizen is honored to represent our community on a national stage. The funding, part of a national push to support local news, will support the Excelsior Citizen‘s continued efforts to close coverage gaps, enhance local reporting, and further strengthen the connection between the news outlet and its readers.
“We are incredibly proud of this achievement, not only for our publication but for the entire Excelsior Springs community,” said Jason Cole, Co-founder of the Excelsior Citizen. “Being chosen by such a respected organization not only affirms the work we’ve been doing, but it fuels our passion to keep pushing forward.”
Out of more than 900 submissions from across the U.S., the Excelsior Citizen was chosen as one of the recipients, reflecting the extraordinary quality of its work. Press Forward’s selection process was highly competitive, and being part of this group of newsrooms—ranging from rural outlets serving wide geographic areas to those covering historically underserved communities—clearly demonstrates the impact the Excelsior Citizen has made since its founding.
“This recognition is as much the community’s achievement as it is ours,” said Courtney Cole, Co-founder of the Excelsior Citizen. “The people of Excelsior Springs have been behind us from day one, and it’s their participation, stories, and support that have made this possible. We’re proud to represent our town on the national stage, and we look forward to continuing to serve our incredible community with the news it deserves.”
Since its inception in 2020, the Excelsior Citizen has grown rapidly, becoming a trusted news outlet with over 4,000 newsletter subscribers, 25,000 unique monthly visitors to its website, and more than 30,000 engaged members in its Facebook community. This funding will enable the publication to continue serving the information needs of Excelsior Springs with an eye on growth and deeper community engagement.
For more information about Press Forward and the grantees, visit pressforward.news/grantees.
If you appreciate the value our local journalism brings to the community, please consider making a recurring contribution to the Excelsior Citizen!
