Press Forward: “Reigniting Local News: Building Community and Democracy” in Kansas City.

Building community with Press Forward grantees in Kansas City

A group of small news publishers, all grantees of Press Forward, met in Kansas City, Missouri last month for the launch of a six-month training and mentorship program focused on strengthening local journalism. The two-day program was led by Maynard Institute Co-Executive Directors Evelyn Hsu and Martin G. Reynolds and marked the launch of “Reigniting Local News: Building Community and Democracy.”

This training was the first of a six-month long relationship that will continue through group calls and mentoring sessions, culminating in another two-day, in-person training at the close of the program. 

This cohort represents the efforts of community driven media in the South and Midwest. Attendees included Dustin Bartholomew of the Fayetteville Flyer, Samuel Jason Cole and Courtney Cole of the Excelsior Citizen, Safiyyah El-Amin and Talibdin El-Amin of the St. Louis Argus, Dana James and Mary Smith-Johnson of Black Iowa News and Maria Ramirez of Te Lo Cuento News. 

Participants said they arrived expecting “professional development,” but left with a “deeper sense of purpose and community,” alongside sessions that addressed the challenges “we face daily”—from business model sustainability to community trust and editorial decision-making.

Our faculty included Caesar Andrews, Professor and Leonard Distinguished Chair in Media Ethics and Writing at the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada at Reno,  Lisa Armstrong, Assistant Professor at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, Ryan Kellett, 2025 Nieman-Berkman Klein Fellow, Harvard University, 

A day was devoted to building revenue and audience with sessions led by Fran Scarlett, principal of Scarlett Ink Media. Mentoring sessions were led by Maynard Institute board member and consultant Dickson Louie. 

“We are grateful to our incredible faculty and the intrepid Press Forward grantees who keep residents in their communities informed and engaged, and look forward to a fulfilling six months of continued mentorship and support,” said Co-Executive Director Evelyn Hsu, who designed the program. 

“What stayed with me was the depth and diversity of this group—not just where they’re from, but who they are. Journalists of different races, faiths, and lived experiences, all deeply rooted in their communities,” said Martin G. Reynolds, Maynard Institute co-executive director. “This isn’t just about mentorship or training—it’s about investing in what journalism must become to truly reflect and serve the needs of the society we live in. Being together in this moment—sharing space, ideas, and purpose—was meaningful not just for them, but for us too.”