Western Iowa Journalism Foundation: Community Journalism Matters

The Western Iowa Journalism Foundation (WIJF) was established in August 2020 and classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity in February 2021. Our mission is to support community journalism that ensures long-term access to accurate local news and investigative reporting throughout western Iowa. WIJF is governed by a seven-person board of directors. 

When the Bill of Rights was drafted more than two centuries ago, the founding fathers incorporated their belief that local journalism was a crucial component for a strong democracy. In fact, Thomas Jefferson once said, “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”

But local newsrooms in western Iowa are facing a crisis. In the last 25 years, the exponential rise of social media and digital marketing has significantly lured away both paid subscribers and print advertising dollars. This monumental decline in revenue has caused many to reduce the number of issues printed each week, cut staff or fold operations altogether.

Newsrooms operating with smaller staffs are no longer able to provide a depth or breadth of coverage – therefore impacting the industry’s ability to continue its “watchdog” status. This means limited opportunity for enterprise or in-depth features on local issues, minimal investigations on accountability of local spending, failure to question board or elected official oversight, and much more. 

Community newsrooms provide readers with the information they need to hold local government officials accountable and help provide an informed electorate. Research across the country confirms communities with fewer reporters or no local news source have seen fewer candidates run for local office, less voter turnout and more polarized and partisan voting.