The States Newsroom, along with its national outlet Stateline and local affiliates, has initiated a donation campaign to support fact-checking coverage of the 2026 midterm elections. The organization positions itself as a critical source of reliable information about state legislatures and governors' offices, particularly as traditional local news outlets face staff reductions and financial pressures that limit their state capital coverage.
According to the announcement, the public faces vulnerability to political propaganda when reliable news outlets become inaccessible. The organization emphasizes that its content remains free without paywalls, pop-ups, or advertisements, ensuring widespread access to election-related information about candidates at state, county, and city levels. The coverage aims to help citizens make informed voting decisions by examining topics including state budgets, education access, immigration policies, and climate change lawsuits that will influence congressional and gubernatorial races.
Current reporting examples include a Stateline article examining business pushback against E-verify requirements in some Republican states at https://stateline.org/2026/02/26/e-verify-requirements-draw-business-pushback-in-some-republican-states/ and coverage of Kansas House budget deliberations at https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/kansas-house-advancing-new-state-budget-amid-concerns-about-spending. Other featured stories address proposed barrier-free college for older Kentuckians, Democratic responses to immigration policies, and Supreme Court climate litigation against oil companies.
The organization warns that media consolidation among influential owners creates risks of information gaps about state capital developments. Studies cited indicate nonprofit newsrooms now comprise the largest portion of statehouse reporters in ten states and the second largest in seventeen states, with their share of statehouse press corps more than tripling since 2014. States Newsroom operates or partners with news outlets in all fifty state capitals, fully funding newsrooms in thirty-nine states including the Alabama Reflector, Alaska Beacon, Arizona Mirror, and others through to the Wisconsin Examiner.
Donations can be made through https://www.newsfromthestates.com/donate with options for one-time or recurring contributions. The funding drive addresses concerns that without support, critical election coverage could diminish, potentially creating information voids during a crucial election cycle. The organization's model represents a growing trend in nonprofit journalism filling coverage gaps left by traditional media contractions, particularly for state-level policy reporting that directly affects citizens' daily lives.
