Growing a Newsroom Around Community Needs: 285 South’s Impact

The Pivot Fund’s $150,000 investment helped 285 South grow from a one-person newsletter into a community newsroom with the staff, infrastructure and distribution needed to more consistently serve Metro Atlanta’s immigrant and refugee communities. The investment supported the launch of the outlet’s first website, its first full-time reporter and a part-time editor, while helping build audience engagement, donor systems and partnerships with regional media.

That added capacity has translated into measurable growth. 285 South now reaches 22,500 people across its website, newsletter and social platforms — nearly 4% of Metro Atlanta’s foreign-born population. Original story production increased 75%, social publishing increased 300%, and annual revenue grew from 188%. The newsroom has also grown its recurring donor base to 28 supporters and expanded distribution through partnerships with outlets including WABE and Decaturish.

But the clearest measure of 285 South’s impact is how its journalism responds to needs identified through deep community relationships. After reporting on language barriers preventing Afghan refugees from obtaining driver’s permits, Georgia moved to add Dari to its permit test language options. Another story documented a driving program helping immigrant and refugee women gain mobility and independence; when the program later faced closure, subsequent coverage was picked up by the Associated Press and helped generate enough donations to keep it operating. During disruptions to SNAP benefits, 285 South also connected families with culturally specific food resources.

These stories demonstrate what becomes possible when a trusted community publisher has the capacity to grow: more reporting, greater reach and journalism that produces tangible outcomes in people’s lives.

285 South’s growth shows that investing in organizational infrastructure does more than increase the volume of journalism. It gives community-rooted publishers the capacity to uncover stories others miss, respond to urgent information needs, build strategic partnerships and turn community trust into lasting impact.

This story is part of The Pivot Fund’s Impact Series, highlighting how investments in trusted, community-rooted publishers build stronger organizations, healthier local information ecosystems and more resilient communities.