Chicago is witnessing a local news rebirth Nonprofit news is on the march. There are questions and concerns, but also optimism. January 10, 2022 Mark Jacob
How the local news crisis affects coverage of COVID-19 and the climate … and vice versa ‘Local news organizations are just so much less equipped now … to cover even something as consequential as the coronavirus pandemic’ December 17, 2021 Mark Jacob
More chain-owned news organizations are returning to local ownership From New England to Arkansas, local investors are buying news outlets from large chains and seek to reverse what they see as decades of disinvestment. July 26, 2021 Mark Jacob
How nonprofit investigative outlets serve news needs in the Midwest The Midwest Center for Investigative Journalism and Wisconsin Watch do the deep dives that have long been a central function of American journalism. July 6, 2021 Mark Jacob
How journalism students are filling gaps in local news As the local news crisis grows, reinforcements are coming: Journalism students are doing the work that would otherwise go undone. June 28, 2021 Mark Jacob
How 3 creative news organizations are reinventing local news in the Midwest An Ohio news outlet that’s owned by its readers. A newsletter for Iowa’s Black residents. And an Ohio newsroom modeling solutions journalism. June 21, 2021 Mark Jacob
The pandemic didn’t wreck news outlets’ hopes for events. Far from it, in some cases. The Texas Tribune increased its profit margin on events when it went virtual. And a Houston organization got $60,000 in sponsorships. May 4, 2021 Mark Jacob
Nearly half of local news subscribers visit the sites they pay for less than once a month, analysis finds 49% of subscribers didn’t go to the websites they had paid for even once a month, Northwestern University’s Medill Spiegel Research Center found. March 1, 2021 Mark Jacob
News media workers are concerned about local news’ sustainability, but few see ads as the best answer, Medill survey finds Many believe converting to nonprofit status and growing reader revenue are the best paths forward. January 25, 2021 Mark Jacob
Most news industry workers believe polls are overused and unreliable, Medill survey finds ‘People feel like there are too many polls. But are news organizations going to reduce their polling? Probably not,’ the survey’s conductor said. January 19, 2021 Mark Jacob
Local news outlets have boosted digital subscriptions by about 50% in a year Experts questioned whether local news outlets could shift from an advertising model to a reader-revenue model. It appears they are doing just that. December 16, 2020 Mark Jacob
What happens when a newspaper dies? This film looks at the impact in Youngstown A 30-minute excerpt from the film will be shown publicly on Wednesday September 29, 2020 Mark Jacob
Are digital startups the great local news hope or a disappointment? Since fall 2018, more than 80 local digital news sites have been started. An equal number have closed. What does that mean for the industry's future? July 27, 2020 Mark Jacob
The Washington Post’s Margaret Sullivan has a grim warning about ‘Ghosting the News’ 'We have to save journalism in whatever form that is, which may have nothing to do with the printed page or the way we did it in the 1990s.' July 14, 2020 Mark Jacob
The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating local news trends, for bad and good COVID-19 has shown the value of local news, boosted audiences and increased subscriptions. But the virus could be fatal to news coverage. April 22, 2020 Mark Jacob
