2026 Civic Information Index powers local assessments of civic health – now including environmental resilience data
Latest edition reveals persistent regional disparities in civic health and civic information – and opportunities for change.
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How Community Broadcasters Use the Index
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…
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Launching the 2026 Index in a changed America
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…
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New Civic Information Index offers crucial insight into civic health in the U.S.
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,…
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Galvanizing a movement to reinvigorate local news nationwide and to strengthen communities
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…
