Content deletion. Link rot. Server disconnections. Site moves. Digital decay.
The threads that chronicle the stories of your community could vanish without a trace.
A 2019 study from the Reynolds Journalism Institute found that “the majority of news outlets had not given any thought to even basic strategies for preserving their digital content.” Loss of these information sources will have major consequences for future journalists, scholars, and citizens.
Investigative Reporters and Editors will be working with Internet Archive and Poynter Institute on a program to archive and preserve local news, thanks to funding from Press Forward, a national initiative to reimagine local news.
The two-year, $1 million grant will support development of “Today’s News for Tomorrow,” a nationwide program that protects vital local online news content that frequently goes offline when a publication ceases to exist.
It will help provide infrastructure, preservation services and training for 300 newsrooms and journalists across the country, building community and ensuring digital archiving and perpetual access to their publications, digital assets and other materials for immediate internal needs as well as future community needs.
“It’s commonly said that journalism is the rough draft of history, but often it’s the only account,” said IRE Executive Director Diana Fuentes. “It’s imperative that we safeguard local news archives and access to those archives. We know it takes time and money. IRE is proud to partner with Internet Archive and Poynter to develop a system for best achieving that goal, and we are grateful to Press Forward for its vision in funding this program.”
The funding, announced in July of 2025, is part of Press Forward’s Open Call on Infrastructure, which is providing $22.7 million to 22 projects that address the urgent challenges local newsrooms face today. The full list of recipients is available here.
The IRE, Internet Archive and Poynter partnership project was chosen from among more than 550 applications for this phase of Press Forward funding.
“Local news published today will be needed by tomorrow’s journalists, scholars, and everyday residents,” Press Forward said in the announcement.
Internet Archive, a nonprofit organization that operates a worldwide digital library and the Wayback Machine, is taking the lead on “Today’s News for Tomorrow.” Poynter and IRE will work with Internet Archive to develop the curriculum and training for the program.
