The Tributary is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom that investigates Jacksonville’s entrenched problems and proposed solutions through collaboration with existing local media. We complement existing local news by focusing on under-reported topics such as redistricting, children’s issues, infrastructure, racial inequities and the criminal justice system. Our democracy depends on journalism to hold the government accountable.

OUR STORY

At the confluence of disruption and adaptation sits the nonprofit news outlet.

Nationally, the for-profit news landscape continues to disappear – and even here in Jacksonville, traditional media outlets have shrunk, expected to report breaking news and investigative coverage at a breakneck speed, yet unable to tap into the necessary resources or time to pursue in-depth stories around injustices and inequality.

Jacksonville continues to grow even as society’s watchdogs endure smaller budgets and even smaller teams – and every day, more and more stories trickle past their attentive gaze. These stories, much like the rivers and tributaries that slice through Northeast Florida, have the potential to shape our community. We must decide if they’ll remain hidden in darkness – or rise to the surface through the support of an independent and thriving local news industry.

Before it’s too late, we must rethink what news will look like and how it will be delivered in our community.

For the Tributary, the future of local journalism is about accountability and accessibility – a nonprofit news hub that feeds investigative stories to area partners, filling a gap in coverage of entrenched problems and solutions, to strengthen the entire Northeast Florida news ecosystem.

Together, we will dive beneath the surface on stories that matter.