The Border Belt Independent has received $110,000 in grants to support its reporting team.
The Border Belt Independent (BBI) is one of 205 local news outlets to secure a Press Forward grant of $100,000 to be used over two years. The grant is part of $20 million awarded by Press Forward, a nationwide movement to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news. Press Forward awarded grants in every state, including nine in North Carolina. There were more than 900 applicants.
“We’re humbled to receive funding from Press Forward considering the large number of worthy applicants,” said Publisher Les High. “It speaks to the hard work of our dedicated staff to examine the issues that affect the people of Bladen, Columbus, Robeson and Scotland counties.
“More and more, local, regional and national philanthropies are funding news organizations, especially nonprofits like ours, to ensure the public has access to reliable, fact-checked news,” High added. “The stakes are high as the lack of information and willful disinformation threaten the core of our democracy.”
Press Forward is investing more than $500 million to strengthen local newsrooms, close gaps in journalism coverage, and advance public policy that expands access to local news.
The BBI also received a $10,000 grant from the N.C. Local News Lab Fund. The grant is a portion of $535,000 awarded to 31 North Carolina local and community organizations. The News Lab Fund has awarded previous grants to the BBI, including one for a feasibility study before the BBI began publishing in March 2021.
The Border Belt Independent, funded primarily with a grant from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, focuses on topics such as race, the environment, health, adverse childhood experiences, the economy, poverty, public safety, education and politics.
The BBI also provides stories to local newspaper partners in the region at no cost. All content is free.