Washington, D.C. — December 4, 2025 — TANTV, a local-first, national-impact news media and technology platform, today announced it is among 37 trusted publishers benefiting from URL Media’s transformational $5 million Knight Foundation grant. This investment accelerates TANTV’s mission to deliver credible news while building sustainable infrastructure for the modern media landscape.
As a URL Media partner, TANTV joins a collective reaching 25 million people, gaining access to shared revenue streams, ad-tech infrastructure, and national amplification. The grant enables URL Media to distribute at least $5 million directly to partners by 2028 through advertising campaigns and government contracts, ensuring independent publishers can thrive without sacrificing editorial independence.
“Sara Lomax and S. Mitra Kalita are true trailblazers setting a new tone for how the local media and BIPOC owned media is perceived. More than ever, the ecosystem needs rejuvenation, and we at TANTV are thrilled to be a partner. This grant is a testament to the significant power of a collective. Indeed, our belief that independent journalism requires both hyperlocal accountability and technology innovation is validated,” said Adedayo Fashanu, Cofounder and CEO of TANTV | Syndex.Â
Technology, Data & Intelligence Infrastructure
The investment will also directly benefit TANTV’s proprietary technology and data intelligence platform, Syndex, which allows publishers identify emerging stories (local-to-national scaling identification) and sentiment shifts.Â
“Our partnership with URL Media solves the infrastructure challenge for publishers, while SYNDEX gives us the data & intelligence edge usually reserved for legacy giants. Together, we are proving that independent media can scale sustainably—delivering the foresight our communities deserve,” said Abolaji Omitogun, Cofounder, COO TANTV | Syndex
Through this partnership, TANTV secures immediate access to:
- Direct Revenue: Compensation from national advertising campaigns and sponsorships.
- Infrastructure: Support for syndex build: Data & technology stack
- Amplification: Mainstream media PR support pitching local stories to national outlets.
Three-Year Grant Fuels Critical Infrastructure and Network Growth from 37 to 100 Publisher Partners Plus 250 Creators and Trusted Messengers to Reach 50 Million People in all 50 States by 2028
About TANTV
TANTV is a news media and technology platform built for New America. We combine local-first national impact reporting via TANTV NEWS, with technology innovation through SYNDEX. Learn more at tantvnews.com and publisher.syndex.ai
About URL Media
URL Media is transforming the media landscape by building a scalable, sustainable ecosystem that empowers trusted publishers and creators serving Black and Brown communities, strengthens their capacity, and directs investment and opportunity to these voices central to shaping our culture and democracy. For more information, visit url-media.com.
About Knight Foundation
Now in its 75th year, Knight Foundation is a social investor that supports a more effective democracy by funding free expression and journalism, arts and culture in community, research in areas of media and democracy and the success of American cities and towns where the Knight brothers once published newspapers. Learn more at KF.org.
Media Contact:
engage@tantvstudios.com
