Support expands for local journalism in five major cities through funding for 48 outlets, including four News is Out publishers and affiliates.
PHILADELPHIA (August 20, 2025) – Today, the Local Media Association (LMA) and Comcast NBCUniversal announced the launch of the 2025–2026 Economic Opportunity Lab, a groundbreaking initiative supporting local journalism covering stories of economic mobility and opportunity in cities across the United States.
The Lab will support a cohort of 48 local newsrooms and 10 NBC and Telemundo owned television stations in producing original, in-depth multimedia stories that examine how geography, policy, and socioeconomic factors shape individuals’ access to opportunity. Reporting will be grounded in new and emerging data from Opportunity Insights, a Harvard-based research organization focused on economic inequality and mobility. Journalists will use tools like the Opportunity Atlas to analyze and illustrate how neighborhood conditions, public school systems, housing access, and city policies influence economic outcomes.