States Newsroom Seeks Donations to Support Fact-Checking Coverage for 2026 Midterm Elections

The States Newsroom, along with its affiliates Stateline and local news outlets, is calling for public donations to support fact-checking coverage of the 2026 midterm elections. The organization emphasizes the public's vulnerability to political propaganda when reliable news outlets are inaccessible or local news organizations reduce staff due to financial pressures from investors. The States Newsroom aims to ensure its content remains free from paywalls, providing citizens with reliable access to information about candidates at state, county, and city levels.

The organization is covering several key topics that will influence the 2026 elections, including state budgets, education access, immigration, and climate change lawsuits. These issues are central to congressional and gubernatorial races across the country. Recent coverage includes stories such as E-Verify requirements drawing business pushback in some Republican states, hopes pinned on the Senate to kill proposed barrier-free college for older Kentuckians, and the Kansas House advancing a new state budget amid concerns about spending. Additional coverage examines Democrats ditching state union blasts over Trump immigration lawlessness and the Supreme Court taking up a climate case testing local lawsuits against oil companies.

The States Newsroom warns that a small number of influential owners, from Perry Sook to Jeff Bezos, hold significant control over information and political influence reaching the public about state capitals, risking a media blackout without public support. The organization operates as the nation's largest nonprofit news organization, providing nonpartisan coverage of state policy and politics without pop-ups, paywalls, or advertisements. Studies indicate that nonprofit newsrooms like States Newsroom are increasingly filling coverage gaps left by staffing cuts at legacy media outlets, with the percentage of nonprofit reporters in statehouse press corps more than tripling since 2014.

Donations can be made through a dedicated donation page, with options for one-time or recurring contributions. The organization fully funds newsrooms in 39 states, each with independent websites, and maintains content-sharing agreements with 11 additional leading nonprofit newsrooms across the country. This structure aims to combat disinformation and news deserts by ensuring comprehensive coverage of state issues that impact daily life, particularly during election cycles when reliable information is critical for informed voting.