American Journalism Project, Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, More Perfect and the Public Media Bridge Fund join forces to invest in the future of public media

A $1.4 million investment will support Texas Public Radio’s growth following its combination with the San Antonio Report, launching a broader effort to help public media organizations expand local reporting and strengthen long-term sustainability.

WASHINGTON — July 9, 2026 — The American Journalism Project, Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, More Perfect and the Public Media Bridge Fund today announced a $1.4 million investment in Texas Public Radio and its combination with the San Antonio Report. The investment is funded in part by The Public Media Business Transformation Initiative, a new joint effort by the American Journalism Project (AJP), Arthur Vining Davis Foundations (AVDF) and More Perfect to advance the future of public media.

The initiative was created in response to the rescission of federal funding and the resulting strain on local public media organizations. This investment in Texas Public Radio (TPR) marks the Initiative’s first commitment in the future of public media, with the aim of catalyzing additional funding for public media organizations positioning themselves to better serve their communities through local news.

The Public Media Bridge Fund, a philanthropic initiative of Public Media Company, is making its investment to support the implementation of TPR’s combination with the San Antonio Report through its sustainability program.

“For decades, Arthur Vining Davis Foundations has invested in public media because we believe it plays an essential role in serving communities across the country,” said Michael Murray, president of Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. “We see a critical opportunity for catalytic investment in these organizations, and hope this effort demonstrates what’s possible for public media and inspires others to invest alongside us.”

The initiative will invest in organizations in mid-sized markets with ambitious plans to expand and strengthen local news, building lessons that can inform the broader public media field. The initiative’s grants will support organizations that are expanding original reporting, prioritizing digital-first strategies, and building more sustainable local news models.

“Trusted local news is fundamental to a healthy democracy and one of More Perfect’s core goals,” said John Bridgeland, co-founder and CEO of More Perfect. “As we mark our nation’s 250th anniversary, there’s no better investment than the newsrooms keeping communities informed and connected. We’re proud to partner with the American Journalism Project and Arthur Vining Davis Foundations to help public media organizations like Texas Public Radio expand that work for the next generation.”

The unification of TPR and the San Antonio Report brought together one of Texas’ leading public media organizations and a trusted nonprofit digital newsroom to create a stronger, multiplatform local news organization serving the region. The organizations are expanding original reporting, strengthening audience engagement, and reaching more people through digital-first products. The combination is fueling the growth of TPR’s newsroom by more than 80%, and the investment will help expand audience and product capacity and build the business infrastructure to sustain that growth.

“Texas Public Radio has a compelling vision for growth and a clear strategy for serving its community,” said Sarabeth Berman, CEO of the American Journalism Project. “We’re investing in the organization because we believe it has the leadership, ambition and opportunity to become an even stronger provider of local news. We also believe its growth can help demonstrate what’s possible for public media organizations across the country.”

“Bringing together Texas Public Radio and the San Antonio Report created an extraordinary opportunity to better serve our community,” said Ashley Alvarado, president and CEO of Texas Public Radio. “This investment will help us ensure more people across South and Central Texas have access to the trusted local journalism they need.”

“Texas Public Radio and the San Antonio Report coming together represents the innovative, collaborative, and networked future of local public media,” said Erik Langner, executive director of the Public Media Bridge Fund. “We’re thrilled to invest in the implementation of this partnership and its capacity to better meet the information needs of communities in San Antonio and South Central Texas as a unified organization.”

More funding through the initiative is expected in the coming months. The effort builds on AJP’s experience investing in nonprofit local news organizations and reflects a shared commitment among the funders to help public media organizations become frontline providers of local news and strengthen their service to their communities for the future.

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Media contact: Roshni Neslage, Head of Communications, American Journalism Project, media@theajp.org, 954-526-1565

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About the American Journalism Project

The American Journalism Project is the first venture philanthropy organization dedicated to local news. We make catalytic investments in nonprofit news organizations and partner with communities to launch new outlets. Since 2019, we’ve invested in dozens of local news outlets, providing them with capital, strategic guidance and operational expertise to grow their reach and impact. By strengthening and scaling a sustainable field of local news organizations, we are working to ensure that people have access to the trusted, independent local journalism they need to participate in civic life.

About Arthur Vining Davis Foundations

The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations were organized in 1952 and are supported by two trusts established by Mr. Arthur Vining Davis. The Foundations aim to bear witness to Mr. Davis’ successful corporate leadership and his ambitious philanthropic vision. Since their inception, the Foundations have given over 4,700 grants totaling more than $400 million to support inclusive higher education and healthcare, high-quality public media, vibrant spiritual communities, and a clean environment. In supporting these sectors, the Foundations are investing in our common future. Learn more about the Foundations at avdf.org.

About More Perfect

More Perfect is an American alliance of 44 Presidential Centers, National Archives Foundation, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Karsh Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia, and more than 100 organizations working together to advance five foundational Democracy Goals: 1) Universal Civic Learning; 2) Expanding National Service & Volunteering; 3) Bridging Divides & Building Trust; 4) Trusted Elections & More Representative and Responsive Governance; and 5) Access to Trusted News & Information.

About the Public Media Bridge Fund

The Public Media Bridge Fund, an initiative of Public Media Company, is designed to guide local public media through a crisis moment to a more sustainable, vibrant, and impactful future. Launched in 2025, the Bridge Fund has raised over $84 million to date with the mission of maintaining public media service across the country; protecting essential infrastructure for local, nonprofit use; and strengthening system-wide resilience and community value for the long-term. The Bridge Fund’s strategy is rooted in a sequential and progressive framework, beginning with stabilization and moving through sustainability with the ultimate goal of adapting the system to solidify public media as a cornerstone of a more connected society. For more information, visit publicmediabridgefund.org.

About Texas Public Radio

Texas Public Radio (TPR) is San Antonio’s largest nonprofit news organization and an essential independent media voice spanning South-Central Texas. Broadcast across seven non-commercial stations—anchored by flagship news station KSTX and classical station KPAC—and driving digital journalism through the San Antonio Report and TPR.org, TPR delivers trusted local, national, and international reporting alongside world-class cultural programming. Headquartered at the Irma & Emilio Nicolas Media Center along downtown’s San Pedro Creek Culture Park, TPR serves as a vital community hub, engaging audiences through deep-dive journalism, live forums, and cultural events.

Read the full release from the American Journalism Project here.