The States Newsroom network has launched a fundraising campaign to support fact-checking coverage of the 2026 midterm elections, citing public vulnerability to political propaganda due to diminishing access to reliable local news. Many outlets are reducing state capital staff for financial reasons, creating information gaps that the organization aims to fill by keeping its content free without paywalls. This ensures citizens receive well-informed coverage of candidates at state, county, and city levels, countering the risk of a media blackout from concentrated media ownership.
As the nation's largest nonprofit news organization, States Newsroom provides nonpartisan coverage of policy and politics in all 50 state capitals without pop-ups, paywalls, or ads. Studies show nonprofit newsrooms like States Newsroom are increasingly filling voids left by staffing cuts at legacy media, with the percentage of nonprofit statehouse reporters more than tripling since 2014. The network's election coverage includes fact-checking on major topics central to congressional and gubernatorial races, such as state budgets, education access, immigration, and climate change lawsuits.
Current reporting examples include a Stateline article on E-verify requirements drawing business pushback in some Republican states and coverage of the Kansas House advancing a new state budget amid spending concerns available at News from the States. Additional stories address political dynamics, such as Democrats ditching state union blasts over Trump immigration policies and a Supreme Court case testing local lawsuits against oil companies, covered in this article and at Stateline.
The organization fully funds newsrooms in 39 states, each with its own website, and partners with 11 other leading nonprofit newsrooms nationwide. It emphasizes that its coverage is crucial in an era of disinformation and news deserts, focusing on state issues that impact daily lives. Donations can be made through a dedicated donation page, with options for one-time or recurring contributions of any amount, to support sustained election reporting through 2026. This initiative aims to maintain independent journalism as a counterbalance to propaganda and ensure transparent electoral processes.
