Deep South Today is pleased to announce that it has received a $300,000 grant from The Kresge Foundation. This generous funding will be primarily utilized by Mississippi Today to establish a new Jackson Desk, dedicated to providing in-depth coverage of Mississippi’s capital city.
“This generous support from The Kresge Foundation strengthens the ability of our award-winning newsroom in Mississippi to further meet its mission to provide essential local journalism to the communities it serves,” said Warwick Sabin, President and CEO of Deep South Today. “It is particularly meaningful in that it will deepen Mississippi Today’s coverage of the state’s largest city during an important municipal election year, when the need for reliable information will be even more critical.”
“In a world overflowing with information, supporting local journalism is more important than ever,” said Kevin Gray, program officer with the Kresge Foundation’s American Cities Program. “Journalism bridges divides, amplifies diverse voices, and keeps us informed about the issues that matter in our communities – and the Kresge Foundation’s American Cities Program is proud to support Deep South Today as it continues its work of telling community stories with integrity and care.”
Mississippi Today’s Jackson desk, led by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anna Wolfe, will focus on four reporting themes that get to the heart of the needs of Jacksonians:
- Quality of life: infrastructure, schools, crime, mental health
- Cost of living: jobs, wages, poverty, housing
- Culture and resilience: entrepreneurship, community outreach, arts, civic engagement
- Government: voter apathy, corruption, distrust in institutions
“In every way, Jackson matters,” said Adam Ganucheau, Mississippi Today editor-in-chief. “It’s a capital city with the future of a struggling state on its shoulders. The most populous city in our state, it’s too often defined by its problems and not nearly enough by its successes and opportunities. It’s our home, and its progress and success means everything to each and every Mississippian. It’s really as simple as the age-old Magnolia State adage: As goes Jackson, so goes Mississippi.”
About Deep South Today and Mississippi Today
Deep South Today is a nonprofit network of local newsrooms that includes Mississippi Today and Verite News. Founded in 2016, Mississippi Today is now one of the largest newsrooms in the state, and in 2023 it won the Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting. With its regional scale and scope, Deep South Today is rebuilding and re-energizing local journalism in communities where it had previously eroded, and ensuring its long-term growth and sustainability.
About The Kresge Foundation
The Kresge Foundation was founded in 1924 to promote human progress. Today, Kresge fulfills that mission by building and strengthening pathways to opportunity for low-income people in America’s cities, seeking to dismantle structural and systemic barriers to equality and justice. Using a full array of grant, loan, and other investment tools, Kresge invests more than $160 million annually to foster economic and social change. For more information visit kresge.org.
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