PIKEVILLE, Ky. — Mountain Top Media has been selected as a member of the inaugural cohort of the Rural News Fund, an initiative aimed at strengthening and revitalizing local news.
The Rural News Fund is an effort to combat the rise of “news deserts,” defined as counties lacking local news outlets. Those participating in the Fund commit to providing additional news coverage in communities in their region that are or are at risk of becoming news deserts.
“Everyone at Mountain Top Media is honored that our news division was awarded this grant,” Mountain Top Media President Cindy May Johnson said. “We’re proud of our news team’s efforts to serve the region with hyper local news coverage, including those counties that have been so often overlooked. As other news providers have become smaller and less engaged, we keep expanding to fill the void. The people of central Appalachia have come to expect Mountain Top News to be there for them, and we’re going to keep stepping up to the challenge.”
Mountain Top Media is one of eight for-profit, nonprofit and public media companies in Appalachian states that are participating in the two-year program. Appalachia has the highest concentration of news deserts in the country.
Others taking part in the Rural News Fund include Allegheny Mountain Radio, Appalachia + Midsouth Newsroom, Athens County Independent, Black By God The West Virginian, Enlace Latino NC, WMMT and West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
Launched in 2025, the Rural News Fund is a collaborative initiative of Press Forward’s Central Appalachia Chapter, aligned with the national Press Forward movement to strengthen and revitalize local news. The Fund is led by the Appalachia Funders Network, in partnership with fund manager Invest Appalachia, and in consultation with Media Growth Partners. With initial investments from Press Forward and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Rural News Fund recognizes the role of local news in supporting civic engagement, public accountability, and community safety, particularly in rural communities.
“In a time when far too many rural communities have watched their local newsrooms shutter and their civic life hollow, this new partnership is more than an investment. It’s a declaration, Appalachia Funders Network Executive Director Dr. Ryan M. Eller said. “We hope to stand in the gap, not just to resist decline, but to catalyze a future where rural storytelling, accountability, and democracy are reborn. What we’re building through the Rural News Fund is not only historic for our region—it’s a national signal that rural places matter, that data-informed and community-driven news models can flourish, and that from these hills might emerge a blueprint for what’s possible across the country.”
Those taking part in the Rural News Fund will receive a $50,000 grant to build internal capacity, alongside free one-on-one coaching from experienced industry advisors, or “Navigators”; peer learning opportunities; and shared spaces for collaboration. In year two, organizations may access up to $50,000 in additional flexible, repayable funding tailored to their needs, to help them diversify revenue and move toward longer-term financial sustainability.
“In rural communities, local news is a cornerstone of civic engagement, local economies, and cultural identity, Invest Appalachia CEO Andrew Crosson said. “It is often the first line of response when disaster hits, translating complex information and keeping people connected when systems are under strain. Day to day, it supports accountability, social participation, and local decision-making by giving people reliable information about what’s happening in their communities. This is not a niche issue. We’re investing in rural journalism as both a civic and economic necessity, using flexible and creative catalytic capital to help these organizations sustain their work in a rapidly changing landscape.”
The open call for the Rural News Fund was designed over the last year, focusing on news organizations with high potential for community impact and sustainability, local ownership and accountability, a commitment to serving rural and under-covered communities — particularly in news deserts and at-risk regions — and plans for expansion of coverage. Applications were reviewed by a regionally and nationally representative Coordinating Committee, incorporating both local context and broader industry expertise.
