The States Newsroom, along with its national outlet Stateline and local affiliates, is calling for public donations to support its fact-checking journalism ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The organization warns that the public is vulnerable to political propaganda due to limited access to reliable news outlets, particularly as local news organizations face staff layoffs and financial pressures that reduce coverage of state capitals.
According to the States Newsroom, ensuring free access to news content without paywalls is essential for citizens to be well-informed about candidates at state, county, and city levels. The organization highlights that a small number of influential media owners, such as Perry Sook and Jeff Bezos, wield significant control over information and political influence reaching the public, raising the risk of a media blackout if nonprofit newsrooms are not supported.
The States Newsroom is currently covering key topics that will impact the 2026 elections, including state budgets, education access, immigration, and climate change lawsuits. Examples of their reporting include a Stateline article on E-verify requirements drawing business pushback in some Republican states at https://stateline.org/2026/02/26/e-verify-requirements-draw-business-pushback-in-some-republican-states/, and coverage of hopes pinned on the Senate to kill a proposed barrier-free college for older Kentuckians at https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/hopes-pinned-senate-kill-proposed-barrier-free-college-older-kentuckians.
Other stories include the Kansas House advancing a new state budget amid spending concerns at https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/kansas-house-advancing-new-state-budget-amid-concerns-about-spending, Democrats ditching state union and blasting Trump immigration lawlessness at https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/dems-ditching-state-union-blast-trump-immigration-lawlessness, and the Supreme Court taking up a climate case testing local lawsuits against oil companies at https://stateline.org/2026/02/23/supreme-court-takes-up-climate-case-testing-local-lawsuits-against-oil-companies/.
Donations can be made through a one-time or recurring option at https://www.newsfromthestates.com/donate. The States Newsroom, described as the nation's largest nonprofit news organization, provides nonpartisan coverage of state policy and politics without pop-ups, paywalls, or ads. Studies indicate that nonprofit newsrooms like States Newsroom are crucial in filling coverage gaps left by legacy media cuts, with the percentage of nonprofit statehouse reporters more than tripling since 2014.
The organization fully funds newsrooms in 39 states, each with its own website, and partners with news outlets in all 50 state capitals. It also has content-sharing agreements with 11 leading nonprofit newsrooms, including CalMatters in California, The Texas Tribune, and VTDigger in Vermont. This expansion aims to combat disinformation and news deserts by focusing on state issues that affect daily lives, particularly during election cycles when reliable information is critical for democratic participation.
