The national initiative that awarded $100,000 to the St. Louis Argus says it has “paused payment” on the grant while it looks into allegations that the newspaper has helped itself to the work of numerous other media outlets.
The Press Forward project is devoting $500 million to shore up local journalism, and its first-ever open call for applicants focused on “uplifting local outlets that bridge longstanding coverage gaps—whether in rural or urban communities, amongst people of color, or linguistically diverse people.” That resulted in a tidal wave of 931 applications; Press Forward ultimately funded 205, with an average grant of $100,000.
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But the inclusion of the Argus surprised St. Louis journalists. Even some newshounds didn’t realize the storied Black newspaper was still publishing. The staff has no full-time journalists, little presence on social media, and no print distribution. It has been emailing PDF newsletters, but much of that content—like much of what was on the Argus’ website—has come from other local news outlets, who confirmed to SLM that the Argus didn’t ask permission, which could be a violation of not just industry norms but also copyright laws. That included work from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Public Radio, Fox-2 Now (KTVI), St. Louis Magazine, and STL-Made, the Greater St. Louis Inc.-funded initiative to spread good news about the region.
Marika Lynch, a spokeswoman for Press Forward, told SLM that grantees are “required to offer original, local reporting.” She added, “As journalism funders, we take the concerns raised seriously. Press Forward has paused payment on its grant to the St. Louis Argus while it looks into the concerns raised by local publishers.”
Publisher Talibdin El-Amin did not respond to a message seeking comment yesterday, but previously defended reusing the work of other outlets since the Argus often credited the originating publication.
According to its website, Press Forward requires grantees to have “a commitment to editorial excellence, editorial independence, and transparency.” However, its scoring rubric didn’t assess applicants on their journalistic bonafides. Instead, it looked for leadership that “reflects the community served” and “a commitment to community listening and audience research,” among other factors.
The Argus dates back to 1912, which its website says makes it the oldest continuously operating Black-owned business west of the Mississippi River. It was known as a crusading newspaper, one that helped organize protests, not just cover them.
Nearly a century after its founding, the family that owned the paper sold it to the Hasan family, and when Eddie Hasan went to prison on tax evasion charges, his son-in-law, El-Amin, took over. El-Amin is a former lawmaker who himself served time after pleading guilty in 2009 to soliciting a bribe from a local gas station owner.
