A combined total of $390,000 will be given by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to the non-profit sites, a release from the organisation said.
"As the news industry cuts costs by reducing staff — including local reporters — citizens are receiving less of the news they need to lead informed lives and hold their governments accountable," said Gary Kebbel, Knight Foundation's journalism programme director, in the release.
"These young, online-only sites help fill the void and offer the information needed to make decisions."
The four news sites to receive funding are: the MinnPost, in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area; voiceofsandiego.org, California; Chi-town Daily News, Chicago; and the St. Louis Beacon.
The foundation said the grants are part of the general effort to find a 'new and sustainable model for delivering news in a digital age'; the Knight News Challenge - currently whittling down entries - is another element.
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