Deep South Today
Deep South Today is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) network of independent local newsrooms — Mississippi Today, Verite News, The Current, and the upcoming Arkansas Today — delivering free, Pulitzer-recognized investigative and accountability journalism across Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas, funded primarily by philanthropic grants and reader support.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersRidgeland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Deep South Today does
Deep South Today is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization operating as a network of independent local newsrooms across the Deep South region of the United States. Originally incorporated in October 2014 as the Mississippi News and Information Corporation (the parent of Mississippi Today, founded 2016 as a statehouse watchdog), the entity functions today as a hub coordinating Mississippi Today (flagship, Ridgeland/Jackson MS), Verite News (New Orleans LA, founded 2022), The Current (Lafayette LA, founded 2018, joined 2025), the upcoming Arkansas Today (launching fall 2026), and The Garrison Project. As of 2026 the network serves Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas with a stated corporate-level headcount of 7 coordinating staff atop larger per-newsroom journalist teams.
The platform delivers free, nonpartisan, digital-first journalism across text, video, and audio formats. Core technology infrastructure supports multiple newsroom brands under a single network, plus shared modules including the Deep South Today Investigative Reporting Center (a regional investigative unit co-developed with The New York Times Local Investigations Fellowship and Big Local News at Stanford University), Deep South Today Studios (a network-wide video journalism operation backed by a $3M founder commitment), and the Black Box narrative investigative podcast distributed across Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio. Distribution relies on per-newsroom websites, email newsletters, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube; content is unrestricted (no paywall).
Revenue is generated primarily through philanthropic donations and grants (named grants include $3M from founder Andrew Lack, $500K Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, $400K W.K. Kellogg Foundation, $300K Public Welfare Foundation, plus Arnold Ventures and others), reader memberships and one-time donations, advertising/underwriting and customized corporate sponsorships, and event revenue (e.g., Mississippi Today 10th Anniversary Celebration tickets from $150, the All In on Mississippi summit at $25). Audiences are residents of underserved Deep South markets — measured at 36% statewide reach in Mississippi (highest among nonprofit newsrooms studied by Lenfest Institute) with 81% reader trust and 85% agreement that reporting addresses the most important state issues.
Deep South Today firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Deep South Today
- Legal name
- Deep South Today
- Website
- https://deepsouthtoday.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Deep South Today is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) network of independent local newsrooms — Mississippi Today, Verite News, The Current, and the upcoming Arkansas Today — delivering free, Pulitzer-recognized investigative and accountability journalism across Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas, funded primarily by philanthropic grants and reader support.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Deep South Today industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital News & Journalism
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (513110), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)
Keywords
Where Deep South Today is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ridgeland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Deep South Today business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: Charitable contributions and grants from individuals and institutional funders including foundations such as Public Welfare Foundation ($300,000), Jonathan Logan Family Foundation ($500,000), W.K. Kellogg Foundation ($400,000), and Arnold Ventures. Also includes $3 million investment from Andrew Lack for Deep South Today Studios.
- Reader Support/Membership: Member-supported newsroom model where readers contribute financially to support journalism. Readers can become members or make one-time donations.
- Advertising and Sponsorship: Earned revenue from advertising, underwriting, and sponsorship. Includes corporate sponsorships customized to accomplish specific goals of supporters.
- Events: Event-based revenue including anniversary celebrations (tickets from $150), summits ($25 tickets), and sponsorship opportunities for events like 'All In on Mississippi' summit.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Mississippi Today 10th Anniversary Celebration tickets |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | All In on Mississippi Summit tickets |
| Other | Annual | Corporate Sponsorships |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Deep South Today product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Deep South Today is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) network of local digital newsrooms producing investigative, accountability, and public-service journalism across Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas. The network includes Mississippi Today (flagship), Verite News (New Orleans), The Current (Lafayette), Arkansas Today (launching fall 2026), and The Garrison Project. It delivers free, non-paywalled news content through digital platforms, newsletters, podcasts, and video while operating the Deep South Today Investigative Reporting Center in collaboration with The New York Times and Stanford's Big Local News, plus the $3 million-funded Deep South Today Studios for video journalism.
Product overview
Deep South Today is a nonprofit network of local newsrooms operating as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core consists of four flagship newsrooms: Mississippi Today (flagship, founded 2016), Verite News (New Orleans, founded 2022), The Current (Lafayette, Louisiana, founded 2018), and Arkansas Today (launching fall 2026). Supporting these are specialized modules including the Deep South Today Investigative Reporting Center (collaboration with NYT and Big Local News), Deep South Today Studios (network-wide video journalism operation), and the Black Box investigative podcast series. Newsletters provide direct audience engagement. All newsrooms share infrastructure, collaborate on investigations, and maintain editorial independence while benefiting from regional scale.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mississippi Today Flagship nonprofit newsroom of Deep South Today network, founded 2016; Mississippi's largest digital-first, nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom providing investigative, explanatory, and public-service journalism covering government, education, health care, justice, environment, and equity. 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner for Local Reporting.
- Verite News Nonprofit news organization founded in 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana; covers inequities facing communities of color with solution-based reporting on education, housing, health care, criminal justice, environment, and politics. Partners with HBCUs to recruit and train diverse journalists.
- The Current Nonprofit news organization founded in 2018 serving Lafayette and South Louisiana; produces in-depth, rigorous reporting connecting readers to stories that matter with journalism centered on people's lived experience. Joined Deep South Today network in 2025.
- Arkansas Today Upcoming statewide news outlet launching fall 2026, dedicated to in-depth, nonpartisan accountability and investigative journalism with on-the-ground presence in Little Rock and Northwest Arkansas.
- The Garrison Project Part of Deep South Today network; investigative journalism project focused on accountability and justice reporting.
- Black Box Podcast Narrative investigative podcast series under the Deep South Today banner; first series examines Mississippi's $400 million opioid settlement spending. Five-part series combining original reporting, on-the-ground storytelling, and exclusive interviews with public officials, advocates, and families. Distributed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and RSS feeds.
- Deep South Today Investigative Reporting Center Regional investigative reporting center established in collaboration with The New York Times Local Investigations Fellowship and Big Local News at Stanford University; brings together investigative editors, reporters, data journalists, and fellows for high-impact accountability journalism across the Deep South region.
- Deep South Today Studios Network-wide video journalism operation launching in 2026, backed by a $3 million investment from founder Andrew Lack; focused on investigative video storytelling and multimedia journalism across all Deep South Today newsrooms.
- Deep South Today Newsletters Email newsletter subscriptions delivering best investigations, community stories, and public-service journalism from across the Deep South Today network directly to subscribers' inboxes. Includes Arkansas Today newsletter for updates on the upcoming launch.
Quantifiable outcome
- 36% of Mississippi residents reached by Mississippi Today - highest among nonprofit newsrooms studied
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Deep South Today
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Deep South Today technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature2 records
Deep South Today partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and core.
- HBCUsstrategicVerite News partners with Historically Black Colleges and Universities to recruit, train, and mentor the next generation of diverse journalists.
- Goat RodeocoreAward-winning audio production company producing the Black Box investigative podcast. Collaboration for narrative audio storytelling bringing Mississippi Today's opioid settlement investigation to life.
- Civic News CompanystrategicPartnership for Civic Information Needs Census (CINC) to measure local information needs in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Research designed to strengthen local information services.
- The New York TimescoreCollaboration to create the Deep South Today Investigative Reporting Center in partnership with The New York Times Local Investigations Fellowship. The Times commits substantial resources including Deputy Editor Chris Davis to manage the investigative team, co-publication of stories, staff time for recruitment, hiring, training, and editing. This builds on prior success with joint investigation on Rankin County sheriffs.
- Big Local News (Stanford University)coreBig Local News, a program at Stanford University's Journalism and Democracy Initiative, provides data journalism support, tools, collaborations, and computational methods mentoring. Previously collaborated on Pulitzer Prize-winning opioid crisis investigation with The Times and Baltimore Banner.
- Institute for Nonprofit News (INN)strategicDeep South Today is a member of INN and subscribes to its standards of editorial independence. Network recognized as a leader in public service journalism.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Deep South Today competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The 19th News: The 19th News is a nonprofit newsroom covering the intersection of gender, politics, and policy. Comparable as a digital-first nonprofit news organization with foundation and member support, and a similar audience-trust-driven model.
- CalMatters: CalMatters is a California-focused nonprofit, nonpartisan digital news outlet covering state policy, government accountability, and civics — closely matching Mississippi Today's statewide nonprofit newsroom model and Deep South Today's multi-newsroom network structure.
- The Connecticut Mirror: The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit, nonpartisan statewide policy and accountability newsroom. Closely comparable to Mississippi Today in mission (state government accountability), funding model (foundations + donors), and digital-first delivery.
- VTDigger: VTDigger is Vermont's statewide nonprofit, investigative digital news organization. Directly comparable to Mississippi Today in being a single-state, foundation-and-donor-funded investigative newsroom serving a small population.
- ProPublica: ProPublica is the leading nonprofit investigative newsroom in the US, operating a similar foundation-funded model focused on investigative journalism and partnering with regional outlets. Deep South Today's Investigative Reporting Center directly mirrors ProPublica's investigative-first approach.
- Montana Free Press: Montana Free Press is a nonprofit digital newsroom covering state policy and accountability in Montana. Comparable to the network's individual newsrooms in scale, model, and foundation-supported investigative reporting focus.
- The Texas Tribune: The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, digital-first statewide news organization that pioneered the member-supported nonprofit newsroom model and is the most direct structural peer to Mississippi Today / Deep South Today. Both combine statewide accountability reporting with foundation and member funding.
- The Marshall Project: The Marshall Project is a Pulitzer-winning nonprofit newsroom focused on criminal justice, funded by foundations including Public Welfare Foundation — the same foundation that just awarded $300K to Deep South Today. Highly comparable investigative, foundation-funded model.
Emerging players
- The Baltimore Banner: The Baltimore Banner is a nonprofit digital news outlet that collaborated with NYT and Big Local News on the 2025 Pulitzer-winning opioid investigation alongside Deep South Today. Directly comparable as a regional nonprofit newsroom engaged in the same investigative partnership.
- Type Investigations: Type Investigations (formerly The Investigative Fund) is a nonprofit investigative journalism incubator that supports and partners with newsrooms on accountability reporting. Comparable as a specialized investigative collaborator and grant-funded journalism nonprofit.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Deep South Today social profiles
Digital presenceDeep South Today financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Deep South Today leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Deep South Today subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Deep South Today funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Deep South Today M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Deep South Today
What does Deep South Today do?
Deep South Today is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) network of local digital newsrooms producing investigative, accountability, and public-service journalism across Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas. The network includes Mississippi Today (flagship), Verite News (New Orleans), The Current (Lafayette), Arkansas Today (launching fall 2026), and The Garrison Project. It delivers free, non-paywalled news content through digital platforms, newsletters, podcasts, and video while operating the Deep South Today Investigative Reporting Center in collaboration with The New York Times and Stanford's Big Local News, plus the $3 million-funded Deep South Today Studios for video journalism.
Is Deep South Today a public or private company?
Deep South Today is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Deep South Today founded?
Deep South Today was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Deep South Today based?
Deep South Today is headquartered in Ridgeland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Deep South Today make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are reader Support/Membership, advertising and Sponsorship and events.
Who are Deep South Today's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The 19th News, CalMatters, The Connecticut Mirror, VTDigger, ProPublica, Montana Free Press, The Texas Tribune and The Marshall Project. Emerging players are The Baltimore Banner and Type Investigations.
Does Deep South Today have an API?
No public API is recorded for Deep South Today.
What industry is Deep South Today in?
Deep South Today's product category is Digital News & Journalism. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAF, Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations. Its NAICS code is 513110 and its SIC code is 2721.