Seven Alaska news organizations have been selected for grants of $100,000 over two years to pay for news coverage essential to the communities they serve. The awards to Alaska News Coalition, Anchorage; Copper River Record, Kenny Lake; KCAW Raven Radio, Sitka; KDLL Radio, Kenai; KUCB Radio, Unalaska; and Sol de Medianoche, the Spanish-language newspaper in Anchorage, were announced on Oct. 17 by the Alaska Center for Excellence. The Alaska media selected were part of an inaugural Press Forward Open Call on Closing Local Coverage Gaps grants, and are among 205 organizations nationwide chosen from a competitive pool of 931 applicants to provide support to strengthen local journalism.