New Foundation Will Fund South Dakota Media Outlets
The South Dakota NewsMedia Association will debut a nonprofit foundation in October 2026 to support local newsrooms.
Updated on Sept. 19, 2026 in Philanthropy
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The South Dakota NewsMedia Association will introduce a new 501(c)(3) foundation during community discussions scheduled for October 1 and 8, 2026. This initiative aims to provide grants to print, digital, and broadcast media organizations throughout the state.
Why it matters
The foundation seeks to combat the formation of news deserts, a critical issue for local operators who rely on regional media for market transparency and community engagement. By supporting for-profit media entities, the association intends to sustain the infrastructure necessary for local information access.
The South Dakota NewsMedia Association currently represents 107 members across the state. Northwestern University researchers recently identified 7 South Dakota counties, including Buffalo and Butte, as news deserts.
The players
South Dakota NewsMedia Association
A trade group representing 107 state media outlets, now expanding into nonprofit grant-making for local journalism.
Eda Uzunlar
A Fulbright scholar conducting academic research on news consumption patterns and the prevention of news deserts.
South Dakota News Watch
A collaborative journalism organization and co-sponsor of the upcoming community events.
South Dakota Public Broadcasting
The state's public media network and a co-sponsor of the scheduled community discussions.
The details
The South Dakota NewsMedia Association created the 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation to generate and distribute funding to media outlets facing revenue pressure. Researcher Eda Uzunlar, a U.S. Fulbright Program scholar, will present her findings on news consumption during the launch events. Her research, which uses South Dakota as a pilot state, focuses on strategies to prevent the growth of news deserts and preserve local information channels for the public.
Timeline
October 1, 2026, at 6 p.m. in Rapid City.
October 8, 2026, at 6 p.m. in Sioux Falls.
Market Landscape
This effort follows the data set established by the Northwestern University news desert mapping project, which categorized regional coverage gaps. It marks a shift from traditional media advocacy to a structural, grant-based model for maintaining state media viability.
Operators in areas identified as news deserts should track the foundation's grant cycles to understand which local media partners may receive stabilizing funding. Future media coverage and regional advertising capacity may shift as the new nonprofit begins deploying capital.
The takeaway
The formation of this foundation signals a proactive effort by the industry to secure local information infrastructure. Businesses should watch for the October 2026 meeting outcomes to determine how these grants might influence the availability and reach of local media outlets.
Further reading
For broader trends in industry-funded media support, see Philanthropy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Dakotanewsnow.
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