The Media Resilience Network

One of 22 Projects Awarded a Share of $22.7 Million to Tackle the Urgent Needs of Local Newsrooms

JULY 16, 2025 — Vita Activa is proud to announce the launch of the Media Resilience Network (MDRnet), made possible through support from Press Forward, a national initiative committed to reimagining and revitalizing local news in the United States.

MDRnet is one of 22 projects awarded funding through Press Forward’s Open Call on Infrastructure, which is investing $22.7 million to address the urgent and structural challenges facing local journalism across the country.

MDRnet will serve as a critical support system for journalists and media leaders working under-resourced and often under-recognized. The project focuses on strengthening both emotional resilience and organizational health in communities where newsrooms are under strain. Mental health care for reporters is a vital part of the infrastructure for today’s local newsrooms in the United States.

MDRnet will provide:

• Peer support, coaching, and counseling—offered both online and in person, delivered with cultural competence and care.
• Task forces and training programs to co-create practical solutions for underserved newsrooms, delivered virtually and on-site.
• Community-based partnerships that unite allies, journalism organizations, and journalism schools in a shared mission of resilience.
  

With over six years of experience as helpline operators and organizational coaches for journalists around the globe, Vita Activa brings deep knowledge and a strong network of media professionals dedicated to defending democracy, protecting freedom of expression, and promoting care within newsrooms.

“We are honored and deeply grateful to be part of this Press Forward cohort,” said the Vita Activa team. “This support enables us to expand our mission to strengthen journalists and media organizations working at the front lines of democracy.”

Other recipients in this funding round are working to protect a free and independent press, offering mental health services, establishing safety protocols, and providing legal resources to support the vital work of reporting. Many are also focused on sustainable revenue and operations models, ensuring that local news can thrive well into the future.

The full list of recipients is available online at pressforward.news/infrastructure25

Launched in the fall of 2023, Press Forward is working to reimagine local news nationwide. Together, more than 90 funders – from local community foundations to national foundations – have invested more than $200 million in the sector, including in news outlets in every state.  

For more information, visit pressforward.news/infrastructure25

About Press Forward

Press Forward is a nationwide movement to strengthen our democracy by revitalizing local news and information. Press Forward’s growing coalition of funders has committed to invest more than $500 million to strengthen local newsrooms, close longstanding gaps in journalism coverage, advance public policy that expands access to local news and scale infrastructure the sector needs to thrive. Named by Fast Company as a Most Innovative Nonprofit of the Year, Press Forward is housed at The Miami Foundation.

For more, visit pressforward.news