Category Archives: Analysis

Engaging a New Generation: Pivot-Backed Reporter Brings a Fresh Voice, Younger Audience to Chavez Media With support from The Pivot Fund, Ernesto “Lego” Legorreta Rodríguez is helping Chavez Media’s Radio Campesina usher in a new era—one that speaks directly to younger audiences. As media consumption shifts and younger generations look for information in new ways, Chavez MediaContinue reading “Community Media Gets Creative to Connect Younger Audiences”

In Kansas City, a Black-owned newsroom turns reporting into action, tackling food insecurity while rebuilding civic trust. Community-rooted journalism can do more than report—it can identify urgent needs, mobilize resources, and strengthen civic infrastructure. The Kansas City Defender, a Black-owned newsroom, is showing exactly how this works through the Hamer Free Food Program, a mutual aid initiativeContinue reading “When Journalism Becomes Civic Infrastructure”

Across the country, community-centered newsrooms are proving something that’s critical for funders to understand: when you invest in capacity, you unlock sustainability. These outlets—led by and for communities long overlooked by traditional media—are trusted in ways few institutions can match. But trust alone doesn’t pay salaries or keep the lights on. What we’ve learned through supportingContinue reading “The Power of Capacity in Community Newsrooms”

Myers Reece, executive director of Underscore Native News, shows what it means to lead when the story isn’t yours  What does it mean to lead a newsroom deeply rooted in a community that’s not your own? For Myers Reece, executive director of Underscore Native News, it starts with something simple but powerful: respect—for the people, theContinue reading “Leadership in Community Media: Serving as a ‘Helpful Guest’”

For years, newsrooms were told that success was about reach. Pageviews, clicks, and impressions filled dashboards and board reports. The logic was simple: more visitors meant more ad dollars. But that world has changed. Advertising no longer sustains most local outlets, and today’s audiences find news in fragments—through feeds, alerts, and algorithms. In this environment,Continue reading “Belonging: The True Measure of Hyperlocal Value”

At Underscore Native News, the community is “ultimately the boss—the guiding force.” What does it mean to lead a newsroom deeply rooted in a community that’s not your own? For Myers Reece, executive director of Underscore Native News, it starts with something simple but powerful: respect—for the people, the culture, and the lived experiences that shapeContinue reading “Leading Across Lines: An Asian American Guiding Indigenous News”

Spanish-Language newsrooms covering immigrant communities are essential, underfunded, and undeterred As federal immigration crackdowns intensify and fear ripples through immigrant communities, Spanish-language newsrooms are responding with urgency, clarity, and care. These outlets aren’t just translating headlines—they’re filling critical gaps left by traditional media: offering culturally grounded coverage, countering misinformation, connecting families to vital resources, andContinue reading “What Immigrant-Serving Newsrooms Need Now”

In Middle and South Georgia, where mainstream media rarely reaches and misinformation often thrives, NotiVisión Georgia is becoming an essential public service. The Spanish-language newsroom recently reached 2.2 million Facebook views in a single month—a 114% increase from the previous period—fueled not by clickbait, but by trust and community relevance. This growth didn’t happen overnight. Over theContinue reading “NotiVisión Georgia’s Growth Shows Why Community Media Matters”

In Little Earth—a close-knit, multi-tribal community in Minneapolis—the majority of the community doesn’t consume news broadcast on television or printed in the paper. Instead, they turn to Facebook. Here, people scroll through updates about upcoming full moon and cedar ceremonies, announcements from the Red Bears sports teams, and graduation shout-outs for the neighborhood’s young people.Continue reading “How Indigenous Minnesotans Are Reclaiming the News”

Carmen Robles never set out to be a journalist. Her life’s work has been rooted in community advocacy—fighting for health and education equality in Minnesota’s Latino communities. But when the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare just how deeply traditional media failed to reach her neighbors, Robles did what she’s always done: she stepped up to fillContinue reading “How Carmen Robles Is Reimagining Local News in Minnesota”