• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, Yesterday

Eleven newspapers across the U.S. will receive funding to help them reduce their reliance on print and grow their digital revenue.

The Lenfest Institute for Journalism says its funding totaling $400,000 will also support new distribution platforms while helping publishers reach younger audiences.

“Most local journalists in America are still employed by newspapers – including many that are transforming into impressive digital news organizations,” says Tristan Loper, head of national programs at The Lenfest Institute, in a statement. “These often family-owned businesses are vital community pillars and local job providers—yet they face an urgent need for business transformation. This grant program supports business model experimentation aimed at developing new audiences, digital products that match audience needs, and profitable business models.”

The 11 recipients chosen from a pool of 160 applicants include:

• Daily Sitka Sentinel, of Sitka, AK, will launch an app that features news, advertising, and a “shop local” cash-back rewards program called PressPass.
• La Noticia, of Charlotte, NC, will create a six-video portfolio of multi-platform editorial explainers to test a premium sponsorship model.
• La Raza Chicago will work with a local radio station to develop Spanish-language radio segments and a recurring podcast.
• Response Media LLC, of Boulder, MT, publishes The Boulder Monitor. It plans to  launch a newsletter in a new market and pilot targeted outreach, positioning The Monitor as a digital-first news organization in a new rural geography.
• The Berkshire Eagle, of Pittsfield, MA will train its reporters to produce short-form video with help from Influencer Journalism, a platform launched by digital strategist Adriana Lacy.
• The Community Voice, of Wichita, KS, will expand youth-centered coverage and incorporate more visual, mobile-friendly stories to draw younger audiences from African American and underserved communities in Kansas and Kansas City.  
• The News Reporter, of Whiteville, NC, will launch four targeted weekly newsletters focused on Lake Waccamaw, northern Brunswick County, small businesses, and sports.  
• The Philadelphia Inquirer will use the SMS marketing platform Subtext to engage and retain younger audiences with timely and targeted messaging, potentially including use cases such as weather, education and sports. 
• The Salt Lake Tribune will develop a self-service ad portal and launch a dynamic inventory tracking system to open remnant inventory to local businesses.
• Wick Communications will build a publisher-owned archive digitalization platform that can create searchable databases for its publishers across 10 states.
• Willamette Week, of Willamette, OR, will convert stories into short videos for social media and experiment with creator partnerships to reach younger audiences. Also, the paper will hire a part-time digital marketing strategist.