Category Archives: Analysis

Across Illinois, one pattern was clear: journalism exists—but many people don’t see it, use it or trust it. Instead, they build their own information networks through social media, group chats, community leaders and everyday interactions. Illinois residents are eager for inclusive, trusted, community-centered journalism. As Danielle Williams, a 48-year-old Black woman from Chicago’s West TownContinue reading “Illinois shows the real gap: Reach, not just reporting”

Here’s What Hyperlocal Publishers Should Know. A new report circulating in journalism and philanthropy circles argues that the future of local news may depend less on funding individual newsrooms and more on investing in shared systems that support the entire field. The report—Rebuilding Local Journalism at Scale, written by Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro and based onContinue reading “A New Report Says Local Journalism Needs “Infrastructure””

A Great Lakes study of nearly 5,000 residents reveals that journalism’s true north is the public. Over the past 15 years, philanthropy has poured billions of dollars into efforts to save journalism. Foundations have funded investigative teams, revived struggling newspapers, launched nonprofit outlets, and supported new reporting initiatives across the country. Yet the crisis inContinue reading “The Crisis in Local News Isn’t Access, It’s Relevance”

As media habits shift and trust in institutions declines, community publishers face an urgent question: How do we build meaningful relationships with younger audiences? During The Pivot Fund’s recent webinar, How Community Media Earns Youth Trust, youth journalists and leaders from organizations including VOX ATL, a teen-driven publishing platform in Atlanta; ThreeSixty Journalism, a Minnesota-basedContinue reading “Webinar Takeaways: How Community Media Earns Youth Trust”

Dear Friends and Supporters, Black History Month often arrives wrapped in celebration—progress, perseverance, firsts. But this year, it begins with a sobering reminder that some of the most dangerous chapters of U.S. history are not behind us. They are repeating. Last Thursday, Black journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort were arrested for doing their jobs.Continue reading “Black History Month, Press Freedom, and the Responsibility to Protect It”

🎧 Podcast episode: Building Leadership That Reflects Community: MLK50’s Co-Executive Directors on Shared Power in Journalism Local news organizations are carrying unprecedented responsibility. They are expected to deliver trustworthy civic information, withstand political pressure, diversify revenue, support staff, and remain deeply accountable to the communities they serve—all at the same time. For many community-rooted outlets,Continue reading “Shared Leadership as Infrastructure: What Funders Can Learn From MLK50”

What’s unfolding in Minneapolis shows why communities need trusted journalism systems in place before a crisis hits. The first casualty of war is the truth—unless truthtellers are on the ground. In Minnesota, they are. And they are reporting what they see. Over the past month of federal immigration enforcement operations across Minneapolis, St. Paul, andContinue reading “How Communities Are Preserving the Public Record When Traditional Systems Fall Short”

When Enlace Latino NC covers a protest or community action today, nothing feels routine, says Co-founder and Executive Director Paola Jaramillo. Their small, immigrant-led newsroom has had to rethink nearly every part of its reporting — from what their reporters wear to who can safely enter a high-risk environment — because frontline journalists cannot predictContinue reading “What Enlace Latino NC’s Experience Reveals About the Safety Risks Facing Community Newsrooms — and Why Funders Should Care”

What the recent federal shutdown revealed — and why funders should pay attention During the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history, millions of families experienced delayed or reduced SNAP benefits, creating immediate gaps in access to food and essential services. While national outlets focused on political gridlock, community-rooted newsrooms quietly became part of theContinue reading “How Investing in Community Media Strengthens Crisis Response Infrastructure”

I predicted in 2017 that marginalized voices could be silenced by structural shifts in media and technology. That moment has arrived: Teen Vogue is gone, and the recent layoffs when it was folded into the parent magazine mean there are now no Black women working in the teen section. NBC News closed its identity-focused verticalsContinue reading “From Prediction to Reality: The Loss of Platforms for Youth and Communities of Color”