About
This is more than a documentary.
It’s a call to action.
Press Forward collaborated with two acclaimed storytellers to craft a series that’s designed not just to inform, but to inspire investment in a local news revival.
Haimy Assefa is an award winning, Emmy-nominated director and founder of Blue Black Studio, a Brooklyn-based production company. Her most recent film, Hope In High Water, marking the 20th anniversary of Katrina and the progress since, is currently streaming on Peacock. Haimy has produced and directed for the Netflix series Explained and Starz documentary series Down In The Valley. Her documentary short Black Birth explores the joys and fears of Black motherhood and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2021. Haimy has worked with and for some of the biggest media companies in the world with unrelenting commitment to telling stories with empathy and curiosity and with the goal to challenge, inform, and entertain audiences. Based in New York City, Haimy has served as a creative director at The Atlantic and has been integral to industry-shaping storytelling units at NBC News and CNN and beyond.
Charles M. Blow is an author, journalist, and political commentator, and is the inaugural Langston Hughes Fellow at Harvard University. A longtime Op-Ed columnist at The New York Times, Blow has also served as a contributor to CNN and MSNBC and anchored PRIME with Charles Blow on the Black News Channel. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling books Fire Shut Up in My Bones and The Devil You Know, which have been adapted into an opera and a documentary, respectively.
Why this matters
Local news is not just about the big headline. It’s about community building, access to information, and fostering participation in civic life.
Explore the videos. Share the stories. Then join us in building a future where every community has the local news it needs to thrive.
Discover ways to support
Explore our toolkit that provides you with the materials you need to host a successful screening and spark meaningful conversations about the future of local journalism.
Watch More Episodes
E1: Human Face
How New Efforts and Leaders Are Writing the Story For Local News
E2: Reformation
The Reformation of Local News and the View From Chicago
E3: Public Policy
Public Policy and the Future of Local News
E4: Unerrepresented Groups
Elevating the Voices of Underrepresented Groups
E5: Supporting Community
Support for Local News at the Community Level
E6: College Newsrooms
College Newsrooms Filling the Gap
About Press Forward
Press Forward is a collaborative, nonpartisan effort with chapters nationwide, working to strengthen local news and the communities it serves. With more than 40 place-based chapters and over $400 million invested, we support sustainable business models, close coverage gaps, and connect funders and newsroom leaders to ensure everyone has access to the reliable information needed to participate in civic life.
About The MacArthur Foundation
The MacArthur Foundation funds innovative approaches to pressing global issues. The foundation focuses its resources on several strategic initiatives aimed at creating substantial impact in critical areas, such as addressing the urgent crisis of climate change, advancing criminal justice system reforms, strengthening local journalism across America, and combating corruption throughout Nigeria. Beyond these major initiatives, the organization maintains long-standing commitments within Chicago, its home base, by supporting individuals, communities, and collaborative efforts to create a more equitable city. The foundation also dedicates resources to journalism and media ventures that promote fairness and inclusivity in storytelling and news coverage.