Link to report and map online hereSeptember 8, 2025 The LGBTQ+ Media Mapping Project today released a groundbreaking look at local LGBTQ+ media, with in-depth analysis of all aspects of their reach, size, impact and increasing need in a hostile and threatening political and cultural climate for LGBTQ+ people.The LGBTQ+ Media Mapping Project was created in partnership by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Local Media Foundation;News Is Out, a national collaborative of leading local queer news publishers; and the Center for Community Media at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York.Local LGBTQ+ media are resilient, but these outlets need a variety of supports to keep serving the news and information needs of their communities, said Tracy Baim, project director and co-founder of the LGBTQ+ publication Windy City Times. This study is the first phase of several needed to investigate what would be helpful for LGBTQ+ media to survive and thrive in the changing journalism landscape. The next step is to see what the capacity is among the philanthropic world to help transform and fill the gaps in LGBTQ+ local media.Leo Cusimano, publisher and owner of Dallas Voice and member of News is Out: The Media Mapping Project proves what many of us have long known: LGBTQ+ media are indispensable. For too long, our role, especially at the local level, has been under-documented and underfunded. This groundbreaking research not only shines a light on our impact but also gives funders, partners, and community members the roadmap to ensure queer media continues to thrive.Jennifer Cheng, Research and Development Associate, Center for Community Media said: The LGBTQ+ Media Mapping Project underscores the vital role of media outlets serving LGBTQ+ communities at the local and regional levels. They cover news with cultural competence, establish trust with readers, and center the communities voices and stories. The report and accompanying map document this crucial work while also serving as a research tool. Documenting the presence, stories and histories of LGBTQ+ media outlets is critical in times of rampant misinformation and underrepresentation times when community-centered journalism is especially vital.Some key findings from the report include:LGBTQ+ media outlets run the gamut in size and scope from one-person operations struggling to cover their local communities with limited resources to multimedia efforts producing nationwide and diverse coverage on numerous platforms.Most local LGBTQ+ media outlets are in dire need of additional resources to do the work needed. Several factors are at play related to this. It is clear that in the current climate, most are facing shortfalls and decreases in advertising and sponsors that have increasingly cut back on marketing efforts that target diverse communities, including LGBTQ+ markets.Very few LGBTQ+ media receive any significant amount of foundation support even as the industry is experiencing increased focus on philanthropy in journalism.In addition to the economic impact of a hostile political and cultural climate, many outlets are experiencing external threats and fears, with some writers and sources asking to have their names removed from articles, a trend that is widespread across LGBTQ+ organizations generallyBut it is not all bad news. Several other trends also came out of this research:There is strong interest and willingness among LGBTQ+ media to collaborate in ways that were not typical in the past.Many of these outlets report a surge in audience, with readers and listeners seeking out reliable, factual and unbiased information about their communities and the issues they are facing from public policy and civil-rights issues to news about cultural and social events.Increasing interest and audience growth will continue as we see more and more LGBTQ+ identified individuals self-identifying, especially younger people (recent studies and polls indicate that 10.5% of millennials and 20.8% of Gen Z identify as LGBTQIA+).One major goal of the LGBTQ+ Media Mapping was to show the need for increased funding of LGBTQ+ media for technology and infrastructure, audience growth, editorial support, training and more.While the main emphasis of this research has been on local LGBTQ+ media, this report also includes a separate survey of national LGBTQ+ media. However, the mapping portion is for local media only given that national media serve a nationwide audience.The map is hosted on the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism website here:https://lgbtqmediamap.journalism.cuny.edu/.The LGBTQ+ Media Project is funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and is in partnership with the City University of New Yorks Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism Center for Community Media. Local Media Foundation (LMF) is the host organization overseeing the research and final report. LMF is a 501(c)(3) charitable trust and serves as the innovation and transformation affiliate of Local Media Association (LMA). Rivendell Media helped in research for the report.The project grew out ofNews is Out, a collaborative of seven of the nations top LGBTQ+ outlets, including some of the longest-serving media for LGBTQ+ people. News is Out is a program of LMA and LMF.In addition to Tracy Baim as project director, Hanna Siemaszko served as lead researcher. Penny Riordan was the project supervisor. Jennifer Cheng of the Center for Community Media produced the map. Dana Piccoli of News is Out will manage ongoing marketing and data opportunities.The post LGBTQ+ Media Mapping Project finds increasing challenges for local outlets appeared first on News Is Out.