New York Considers Funding for Nonprofit News

In Albany, New York, Governor Kathy Hochul is considering a grant program to fund nonprofit news outlets. The Investigative Post in Buffalo recently reported a story about a Rohingya refugee’s death after being left outside a Tim Horton’s by Border Patrol.

This reporting contributed to a larger push for state funding of local journalism. In 2024, New York established a tax credit for local news, but the credit excludes nonprofit publications due to their tax-exempt status.

Jim Heany of the Investigative Post argues that nonprofits are a growing part of the news industry and deserve investment. Advocates like John Kaehny of Reinvent Albany frame the issue as one of fairness, noting that the state already subsidizes commercial journalism. New York currently has about sixty nonprofit news outlets, many serving areas where traditional news sources are shrinking, a trend reflected in a Northwestern University report showing almost 40% of local outlets have closed in the last two decades.

Legislators have proposed related bills, but funding requires inclusion in the state budget. The outcome remains uncertain, and advocates plan to revisit the issue next year if this budget cycle fails to deliver.