News and information are an essential part of civic infrastructure in a democracy. Leaders, funders, service providers and organizers at all levels need to recognize the value of news and information, invest in them, and manage them with care. Too often, critical conversations about cornerstones of U.S. democracy — from journalism and information landscape changes…
By A. Rima Dael, CEO, National Federation of Community Broadcasters Over the past several years, the work of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB) has centered on a clear focus: how do we strengthen community radio not simply as a network of stations, but as essential civic infrastructure? As the public media landscape has…
As we share the 2026 edition of the Index, we are finding ourselves in a changed America. Across the country, a landmark bill passed by congress in July 2025 (H.R.1) is breaking down the social support infrastructure that many communities rely on, like Medicaid and SNAP food benefits. Critical elements of civic infrastructure have been…
WASHINGTON, DC and PROVIDENCE, RI – Today marks the launch of the Civic Information Index, a groundbreaking new tool that maps and tracks the health of local information and civic health ecosystems across the United States. The initiative is co-led by The Listening Post Collective at Internews and the Information Futures Lab at Brown University,…
At Press Forward, we are galvanizing a movement to reinvigorate local news nationwide. But our overarching goal is not to preserve journalism for journalism’s sake; it’s to strengthen communities. In fact, we believe the futures of reliable local journalism and communities are inextricably linked. Thriving neighborhoods are those where people participate—by voting, volunteering, and understanding…
