Media Impact Funders will host a network call to discuss a new infrastructure analysis written by Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro and commissioned by Arnold Ventures. The report synthesizes nearly 560 applications submitted to Press Forward’s pooled-fund infrastructure open call, and offers one of the most comprehensive practitioner-defined datasets on the structural needs of local journalism. Rather than focusing on individual organizations, the analysis examines the system-level constraints limiting scale, sustainability and coordination across the field. It asks what the aggregated signals from the field suggest about where infrastructure is breaking down, and what kinds of investments may be required to stabilize and strengthen the ecosystem. On this call, we’ll explore the implications for philanthropy: Where are the bottlenecks? Which strategies are and aren’t working? And what might more coordinated, system-level funding look like? Join us for this exciting discussion on what the field is signaling, and what it may require of us next. Read More

All funders and MIF members are invited to join MIF’s monthly Network Calls — a regular space for media funders to connect, learn, and share. These informal gatherings feature timely presentations, highlights of new research, introductions to new members, and open discussion time. Each call is designed to spark conversation, surface new ideas, and strengthen connections across the network.