SPEARFISH, S.D. – A new nonprofit organization has been created to help strengthen and sustain local journalism across western South Dakota.
The Western South Dakota Journalism Foundation was established in response to the decline of local newsrooms and the financial challenges facing community news organizations. Foundation leaders say the goal is to secure grants and donations that will help fund local reporting and public information efforts throughout the region.
Supporters of the project say local newspapers continue to play a critical role by covering government, education, crime, healthcare, and community events, while serving as a watchdog for the public.
Black Hills Pioneer Publisher Letitia Lister says the idea grew from strong community support during the COVID-19 pandemic, when readers voluntarily donated to help sustain local news coverage. She says those contributions highlighted the value many residents place on local journalism.
Foundation leaders say their efforts will focus on supporting coverage in areas including healthcare, education, environmental issues, government, public safety, and news literacy outreach.
The Western South Dakota Journalism Foundation will serve communities across Lawrence, Butte, Meade, Pennington, Harding, and surrounding counties. Organizers say they hope the effort will help preserve access to reliable local news for years to come.
The foundation was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization earlier this year.
