Holding the Line: Community Publishers Rise Amid Threats, Change

Independent, community-rooted publishers are under extraordinary strain — from funding cuts and policy shifts to politically motivated intimidation. Yet across the country, they continue to lead with courage, creativity, and care.

During a recent Pivot Fund webinar, On the Front Lines with Community Media, newsroom leaders shared how they’re adapting to continue serving their audiences despite escalating threats.

The convening brought together journalists and funders to explore what it means to lead under pressure — particularly as local outlets face challenges around immigration, public health, economic development, and newsroom security.

“For publishers and founders, these lessons reflect not just what’s happening in the field — but how peers are building models for survival, trust, and sustainability,” said Tracie Powell, Founder and CEO of The Pivot Fund. 

Reporting Through Fear

Sophia Qureshi, founder of 285 South, which covers immigrant and refugee communities in Metro Atlanta, says fear has become a daily reality in her reporting.

“People we interview are afraid. A lot of the nonprofits that were our sources, they are now telling us they don’t want anyone to know that they support people who are undocumented.”

Still, Sophia and her team remain committed to stories that highlight not only risk, but also joy and connection. “Life is still happening,” she said. “People want stories that reflect connection, not just fear.”

To serve their audience, 285 South partners with other local outlets — including WABE, Atlanta’s public radio station — and produces “news you can use” lists offering mental health resources and ways to support immigrant and refugee communities.

Meanwhile, Oscar Guevara of MG News, a Metro Atlanta outlet reaching over 112,000 people, faces similar challenges. His father, journalist Mario Guevara, was recently deported after months in ICE detention after he was arrested while covering a No Kings Day protest.

Oscar and Alondra Madrigal — a reporter at MG News who has been instrumental in keeping the outlet running — primarily publish on Facebook. Now, the small team is working to expand to Instagram, TikTok, and their own website to reach both Spanish- and English-speaking audiences, all while remaining vigilant about security and source protection.

“It’s a delicate balance between reaching our audiences and keeping them safe,” Oscar said.

Their stories reflect a wider truth: local journalists are not just witnesses to fear — they are working through it, every day.

Defunding, Intimidation, and Adaptation

For Georgia Fort, founder of BLCK Press in Minneapolis-St. Paul, the challenges are financial as well as political.

When an advertiser scaled back its DEI initiatives, Fort’s newsroom lost half of its earned revenue — $250,000 — almost overnight.

“They withdrew their contract with us after working with them for almost three years,” she said. “We’re still recovering. In order to stay open, we had to reduce our full-time staff, but we’re still telling our stories. We’ve been here, and we’re not going anywhere.”

Fort’s experience mirrors a growing national trend: as corporations retreat from public DEI commitments, Black-led and community-rooted outlets — those most trusted by marginalized communities — are left to fill the gaps alone. To adapt, Fort has leaned into partnerships with mission-aligned organizations, expanded legal resources, and continued to deepen community trust.

Rethinking Models and Infrastructure

With resources shrinking and threats rising, many community publishers are reimagining sustainability through new structures — fiscal sponsorships, cooperatives, and shared services models that allow them to stay nimble and independent.

Crystal Good, founder of Black by God, which serves rural Black communities in Appalachia, sees these structures as vital for resilience. Her Folk Reporter Program trains everyday residents to attend public meetings and report on local issues — rebuilding the connective tissue of civic life.

“Black by God has the capacity to build an information highway so that we can share the resources that people need, when they need them — but the right support is key,” she said.

Finding the right fiscal sponsor takes time and discernment, she added, but the best sponsors become true partners — helping outlets think through structure, revenue, and long-term sustainability.

Publisher takeaway: Sustainability doesn’t always mean building everything from scratch — it can also mean building together.

As The Pivot Fund’s Tracie Powell noted, investing in core infrastructure — HR, communications, leadership development, legal support — creates “breathing room” for journalists to focus on reporting and innovation.

Protecting Communities and Redefining Visibility

As local and federal law enforcement surveillance of immigrant and marginalized communities expands, publishers are rethinking how visibility and safety intersect. Some have begun sharing content in closed WhatsApp groups or encrypted channels to protect readers and sources from harassment or government scrutiny. Finding creative ways to share information allows publishers to continue showing up for their communities without putting them at risk.

Funders echoed these concerns. They called for greater investment in digital security, safety protocols, and trauma-informed practices to protect newsroom staff.

Marissa Tirona of Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR), an organization that aims to mobilize philanthropy to advance immigrant justice and belonging, emphasized the need to support experimentation as part of sustainability:

“It’s about not only providing general operating support but also supporting the exploration of alternative structures.”

Some donors are even funding physical security measures and wellness support — recognizing that resilience requires rest and safety as much as resources.

What’s Working — and What’s Needed

1. Trust-Based and Participatory Funding
   “When impacted communities help decide where resources go, both safety and impact grow stronger,” said Aldita Gallardo, Director of the Action for Transformation Fund at Emergent Fund which moves resources to trans-led organizing, healing, and power-building efforts. 
2. Rapid Response and Flexibility“Funding that mirrors the agility of local newsrooms is important,” said Marissa Tirona of GCIR. 
3. Collaboration and Capacity Building
   Veronika Geronimo, director of Immigrant Justice at the Four Freedoms Fund—an organization that focuses on strengthening the capacity of the immigrant justice movement—highlighted the power of peer learning, coaching, and partnerships. Through partnerships with the Democratizing Philanthropy Project, her team is helping community-led outlets build sustainable small-donor revenue models.
4. Holistic Care and Rest
   Gallardo noted that sustainability requires supporting rest, healing, and safety: “How are we thinking about our folks who are in these organizations holistically, and thinking about their care, thinking about how rest and restoration is going to be critical for the long haul?”

A Shared Call to Action

Community publishers are holding the line — building systems of mutual care, trust, and innovation under immense pressure.

As Powell reminded funders:

“Trust these grantees to understand how they serve their communities best. Trust-based philanthropy sustains this kind of journalism.”

For publishers, the message is equally clear: trust your instincts, trust your peers, and keep building together.

The pressures are real — but so is the resilience.

Community media aren’t just surviving these times — they’re reshaping the future of local news, one story at a time.