🎙️We’re launching the State of Local News Podcast! AI. Trust. The future of journalism. In Ep. 01, Tim Franklin talks with Steve Grove of @startribune.com about what’s next for local news. Watch/listen: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2026/0...

New research shows AI often uses news content without attribution, accelerating the crisis in local journalism. Read more: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2026/0...

Google isn’t the only place people search anymore. About 49% of U.S. consumers say they’ve used TikTok as a search engine, according to an Adobe survey. www.socialmediatoday.com/news/almost-...

With federal action stalled, more states are moving ahead to save local news. New Mexico could become the latest to adopt tax credits supporting newsroom jobs and sustaining local journalism. Read more: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2026/0...

At the Minnesota Star Tribune, an investment decades in the making takes shape: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2026/0...

News publishers are continuing to expand their subscription businesses despite broad traffic erosion tied to search shifts and AI-driven discovery changes. Read the full article on Digiday here: digiday.com/media/in-gra...

A deep dive into the Windy City’s innovative and expansive media landscape: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2026/0...

In local news deserts, 51% residents rely heavily on social media and influencers to stay informed. Read Medill LNI's comprehensive survey on news deserts across the USA: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2026/0...

Where do people in news deserts get local news from? Often, not from newsrooms. A new Medill survey finds residents rely heavily on social media, influencers, and gossip — alongside interviews with people living the reality. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2026/0...

Alden Global Capital, the private equity fund that owns the Chicago Tribune and more than 160 other newspapers across the United States, wants to add the Daily Herald to its portfolio. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2026/0...

On Carpenter, consolidation and censorship: www.cjr.org/feature/carp...

The Northern Light, a weekly newspaper serving more than 10,000 households in Washington’s Whatcom County, was saved by a remarkably generous gift over the holidays. By @brierdudley.bsky.social: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2026/0...

To close out another successful year at Medill, the Local News Initiative hosted its annual Chicago Local News Summit in Dec 2025, providing local industry leaders with a day of relevant and robust knowledge to empower news organizations across the city.

Mackenzie Warren, Tim Franklin, Stephanie Edgerly and Yazmin Dominguez discuss key findings from the 2025 Chicago-Area News Consumption Survey and what they mean for local news in the Chicago region. youtu.be/NlWL5Txd7Jg?...

In May, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will cease operations. Will the paper be sold? Who will help fill the void? It’s too soon to know the answers, but people in Pittsburgh and across Pennsylvania are already searching. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2026/0...

In Oregon, a family stepped in to save two local papers on the brink. From near closure to a new chapter, Brier Dudley writes about what’s possible when people invest in local news. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2026/0...

Local news is shrinking just as climate disasters are accelerating. @activerewriting.bsky.social looks at where those crises collide and the journalists reporting through disasters without newsrooms or pay to keep communities informed. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...

Local news is shrinking just as climate disasters are accelerating. @activerewriting.bsky.social looks at where those crises collide and the journalists reporting through disasters without newsrooms or pay to keep communities informed. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...

How did Chicagoans find information during the ICE’s Midway Blitz in Chicago? ➡️ 64% of Latino respondents avoided public spaces ➡️ 45% changed routes or made safety plans Full findings: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...

Medill is partnering with the Media Transformation Challenge to launch MTC @ Medill: a dynamic community empowering media leaders to achieve measurable results and lasting transformation. Coming to Chicago in 2026! Read more: www.medill.northwestern.edu/journalism/p...

Medill Local News Initiative + @medillschool.bsky.social are thrilled to join forces with the Media Transformation Challenge to launch MTC @ Medill — a community helping media leaders achieve measurable results and lasting transformation. vimeo.com/1054167772?f...

From a layoff to a statewide newsroom: How COVID pushed the Montana Free Press to expand its mission. Edited excerpts from Autumn Brewington’s conversation with editor John S. Adams. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...

How the Henrico Citizen survived COVID, went fully digital, and is now having its best financial year ever – thanks to grit, grants, and community support. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...

Started as a bike blog. Became a local newsroom. Jonathan Maus talks with Medill about BikePortland’s 20-year ride. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...

Newsletters are having a moment. With Facebook referrals down 50% this year and AI search cutting into traffic, outlets like the San Antonio Express-News are leaning on direct-to-inbox updates and seeing immediate payoff. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...

🎉 Big news: We just won the 2024 Chicago Innovation Award! Honored to be recognized for our work in advancing the future of local journalism. Thank you to our incredible team, and to the partners, funders, and newsrooms who make this work possible. www.medill.northwestern.edu/news/2025/th...

Congrats to @localnewsini.bsky.social for being named one of the winners of the prestigious Chicago Innovation Award! The annual award is the region’s foremost recognition of the most innovative new products or services brought to market. Read more: spr.ly/633217ZhbT

Three competing newsrooms. One thriving local news ecosystem. Baltimore’s vibrant local media landscape stands out as the rest of the country faces newsroom cuts. By Paul Farhi: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...

Partnering up in suburban Chicago: The employee-owned Daily Herald adapts to new ways of delivering local news while staying true to its mission of serving communities. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...

Per Medill’s 2025 State of Local News Report, only 46% of U.S. newspapers remain independently owned — down from 54% twenty years ago. But in the Northwest, a few publishers are defying the odds. By Brier Dudley for @localnewsini.bsky.social : localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...

How do you reach rural readers across multiple states and keep journalism sustainable? In the Deep South, local newsrooms are finding strength in collaboration. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...

New from the State of Local News Project: how public radio lifelines like KOTZ in Alaska are being pushed to the brink. localnews.knilab.com/posts/2025/1...

New from the State of Local News Project: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...

The State of Local News 2025 from @localnewsini.bsky.social finds that promising developments are being swamped by deeper negative trends. We’re losing the race against time for local news. Read an analysis by @stevenwaldman.bsky.social: www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/were...

"In recent years South Carolina's oldest newspaper has deepened its commitment to local journalism -- and broadened coverage across the state. Two years after a "CBS Morning News" profile, we revisited The Post and Courier." localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...

The @medillschool.bsky.social 2025 State of Local News Report is now live, filled with articles, graphics, maps and photos documenting the loss of local newspapers, increase in digital sites and emergence of "Bright Spots." Read here: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...

Breaking: Illinois Press Association CEO Don Craven resigns after a split with the board over an ICE lawsuit tied to journalist protections. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...

The 2025 Chicago-Area News Consumption Survey from Medill and the University of Chicago looks at how residents get their local news. The trend is shifting fast, with smartphones leading the way and content creators rivaling newspapers. Read here: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...

The sale of eight Illinois newspapers to out-of-state Paxton Media raises questions after publishers reportedly skipped the 120-day notice required by the new state law meant to keep ownership local. Read more here: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...

In a new survey commissioned by the @localnewsini.bsky.social, findings show the changing ways in which people’s news behaviors are evolving. Plus, they provide both dire warning signals for the news industry, and reasons for optimism. Read more: spr.ly/63325AKu7c

The @localnewsini.bsky.social is a finalist for a Chicago Innovation Award! 🎉 It recognizes innovative new products, services, and organizations in the Chicago region, celebrating breakthroughs that improve lives. Vote here for the "People's Choice" Award: spr.ly/63321Ap2O7

From audience strategy to AI training, Medill’s new Shared Services Hub is partnering with Chicago news outlets to strengthen local journalism and sustain reliable coverage. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...

Just released: The 2025 Chicago-Area News Consumption Survey from Medill and the University of Chicago. How residents get their local news is shifting fast — from smartphones leading the way to content creators rivaling newspapers. Full report: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...

"Without being too preachy, “The Paper” captures the relentless cost-cutting of corporate newspaper owners, the loss of institutional knowledge in newsrooms and the idealism of those still pursuing a journalism career." Brier Dudley for LNI: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...

When local news disappears, secrecy thrives. A new study finds that government secrecy grows strongest in states hardest hit by the local news crisis. Full story: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...

Skamania County, WA, has one local paper left—no online edition, few staff, and just six pages. Is this survival or the spread of news deserts? localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...

Illinois is backing its local news: $4M in tax credits awarded to help 40 news organizations (operating 120 outlets) keep reporters on staff. Check out our interactive map to see who received the tax credits. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...