Way Forward

The Week of May 7, 2025

NiemanLab. “Local” newsroom partnerships allow better resource planning

“The model could allow local reporters to be part of bigger, better-resourced teams, while maintaining a level of community trust that’s out of reach for most national counterparts.” Sophie Culpepper (NiemanLab)

The Walrus. Journalism’s Reinvention Is Happening

Its local. But as we know, local, done correctly, is expensive. Canadian writer Tom Jokinen (Globe and Mail, Literary Review of Canada, and The Walrus) encapsulates this new territory.

The Week of March 24, 2025

AJP. Media leaders + philanthropists join forces to revitalize local news in LA

In the wake of drastic losses in local journalism resources, local press and funding orgs have raised $15 million to rebuild independent local press. The L.A. Local News Initiative will be a nonprofit supporting local newsrooms covering neighborhood, regional, and state levels. -gjw

The Dig. Howard University Journalism to Focus on Confronting Oligarchies

2025 Democracy Summit will deeply examine the mechanisms of oligarchy and explore the multifaceted ways oligarchic forces shape policy and public perception. -gjw

JURIST. Article honoring JURISTnews founder Bernard Hibbitts

Hibbitts built a groundbreaking service that revolutionized how legal news reaches the public. Through his innovative approach empowered law students as reporters and editors. -gjw

Forbes. USAID website is offline

The Week of March 10, 2025

Free Press. Action Launches 'Local News for the People,' a Collaborative Blueprint for Community-Centered Media
Free Press Action released Local News for the People: A Policy Agenda for Meeting Civic-Information Needs, a roadmap created by leaders in the journalism and pro-democracy fields that urges lawmakers to treat local news like the public good it is. -acb

LIFEHACKER. Here's How Four Major Newsrooms Are Using AI
Here are just a few news outlets that have started openly using AI in their processes, so you can stay informed about where exactly the information you’re reading is coming from. -acb

Insider. Journalist used her newsletter and BlueSky to break story about freezing federal grants; she's building it into a business
Brooklyn-based indie Marisa Kabas broke a major White House story through her newsletter The Handbasket, shared it on Bluesky. Larger outlets picked it up, boosting her visibility. -gjw

EU NEIGHBOURS EAST. TikTok use growing for journalists along with other social media platforms

Journalists who don’t become familiar with TikTok risk becoming “irrelevant,” according to Erick Marzano, who writes about news journalism technologies for European publications. There is still a “traditional TV mindset” among some reporters who have been quite slow in taking up newer communication tools. But in what can be called “the social media era,” integrating new tools with traditions ones is an imperative. -dg

The Week of February 23, 2025

GIJN. Why Any Reporter Can Now Source Free, Quality Satellite Images of Almost Anywhere on Earth
Reporters can now access free high-resolution satellite images for investigations. -jy
PressGazette.co.UK. The publishers leading a renaissance for London newspapers
London news start-ups, like London Centric, The Londoner, and London Daily Digital, are finding success with paid, niche journalism as traditional outlets decline. -jy
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. News for young people by young people: How this new Spanish outlet aims to reach an elusive audience
Watif, a Spanish platform, captures young audiences with its newsletters, video podcasts, and a subscription model centered on future trends and cultural content. -jy
Editor & Publisher. Building momentum into 2025: How the Baltimore Banner is shaping the future of local journalism 
The Baltimore Banner closed 2024 with 55,000 subscribers, expanded its newsroom, and diversified revenue, setting a model for local journalism. -jy
Editor & Publisher. Bridging the gap: How Gannett’s ‘Meet our Team’ is rebuilding trust in local news
Gannett's "Meet Our Team" program builds trust by introducing journalists through profiles, behind-the-scenes stories, and events with communities. -jy

The Week of February 10, 2025

Routledge. Innovations in Journalism; comparative research in five European countries sheds light on best practices

From the Innovations in Journalism project, 300 page book looks at practices in Europe from 2010. Available as free download. -gjw

Nieman Lab. Skills developed while facing down the fossil fuel industry

The Art of Persistence: National Observer’s Linda Solomon Wood on defeating troll campaigns, converting readers one by one, turning an upstart publication into essential reading. -gjw

Nieman Lab. Latin American journalists are using collaborations to get around censorship and suppression

Joining forces to hold governments accountable. -gjw