Deep South Today receives $400K grant to expand video reporting at Verite News

The funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation will help the nonprofit network deliver critical health and education news to New Orleans communities.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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Deep South Today, a nonprofit network of newsrooms in Louisiana and Mississippi, has received a $400,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to expand video reporting about health and education issues at Verite News in New Orleans. The funding will help establish and sustain a dedicated video production program to deliver critical reporting in ways that deepen trust, strengthen engagement with the community, and ensure all New Orleanians have access to the information they need to thrive.

Why it matters

As local news declines in New Orleans, this grant will help Verite News reach more people with essential health and education reporting through video, a rapidly growing format for news consumption, particularly among Black audiences who have historically been underrepresented in traditional media.

The details

The video expansion at Verite News will focus on amplifying the newsroom's existing reporting on health and education issues, including the local impacts of federal policy changes, community clinics serving the uninsured, Medicare performance, and debates over the future of public schools. The goal is to foster visibility, representation, and community ownership of the stories told.

  • The $400,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation was announced on February 10, 2026.

The players

Deep South Today

A nonprofit network of local newsrooms in Louisiana and Mississippi, including Mississippi Today, Verite News, and The Current.

Verite News

A nonprofit news organization launched in 2022 in New Orleans that covers inequities facing communities of color.

W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF)

A large philanthropic foundation based in Battle Creek, Michigan, that works to create conditions for vulnerable children to realize their full potential.

Warwick Sabin

President and CEO of Deep South Today.

Terry Baquet

Editor-in-Chief of Verite News.

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What they’re saying

“Deep South Today is committed to equipping its newsrooms with the capacity to meet audiences where they are and provide essential information across multiple formats and platforms.”

— Warwick Sabin, President and CEO of Deep South Today (Verite News)

“At the heart of this proposed video expansion at Verite News is our earnest effort to accomplish two main goals: amplify our newsroom's existing and essential health and education reporting, and connect many more New Orleanians to a fuller understanding of how often complicated, wonky policy decisions directly affect their lives.”

— Terry Baquet, Editor-in-Chief of Verite News (Verite News)

What’s next

Verite News plans to establish and sustain a dedicated video production program to deliver critical reporting on health and education issues in New Orleans.

The takeaway

This grant will help Verite News reach more people in New Orleans with essential health and education news through video, a format that is increasingly important for news consumption, especially among underrepresented communities. By investing in video, the newsroom can foster greater visibility, representation, and community ownership of the stories they tell.