It’s a familiar statistic: Approximately 2,500 local news outlets in the United States have closed in the past 20 years — a trend that has continued throughout the pandemic. But, in some of these “news deserts,” the places where papers have … Read more
Beware of road metaphors. In the twisty-turny devolution of the local press since The Great Recession, we’ve been driven down pathways, ramps, routes, shortcuts, and, unfortunately, many dead-ends. Which brings us to the metaphor of the moment: The Roadmap for … Read more
On Sept. 6 of last year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed California Assembly Bill 179 into law and, with it, dedicated $25 million to funding local reporting in places underserved and underrepresented by the press in the state. The money … Read more
One year ago this week, Chicago Public Media announced the acquisition of The Chicago Sun-Times, a public radio station combining forces with a cherished hometown newspaper. The Chicago merger has created one of the largest nonprofit news enterprises in … Read more
The future of our democracy is being written in state legislatures across the country. They were the focus of coordinated efforts to undermine the 2020 election results, and now, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case based … Read more
Jonas Heese was skeptical. The Harvard Business School professor had heard the standard claims: When local newspapers close down, corporate corruption goes up. Yes, there was anecdotal evidence that national media could act as a corrective — perhaps a Wall … Read more
Amid a pandemic that has killed over 5 million people globally, the need for clear, accurate information has never been more apparent. And yet many communities lack the crucial information they need to make important decisions for themselves, their families, … Read more
With the passage of the $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill, Washington is not only providing help to families, schools, states, and local government; it is throwing a lifeline to the imperiled local news business as well. The … Read more
As the editor of a nonprofit news site in New Orleans, I occasionally receive emails from young, earnest college grads who have recently moved to town and want to do work that matters. They sometimes have a bit of journalism … Read more
Don Smith, a veteran of both the editorial and publishing sides of the business and the executive director of the West Virginia Press Association (WVPA), talks about the phone calls he received from long-time community newspaper owners … Read more
