Where do Americans go for news online? Half of U.S. adults (53%) say they get news from social media at least sometimes. Most check Facebook (38%) and YouTube (35%), while Instagram (20%), TikTok (20%) and X/Twitter (12%) come next. via @pewresearch.org: www.pewresearch.org/journalism/f...

A Kentucky company bought eight Illinois newspapers, bypassing a new law requiring a 120-day sales notice intended to keep ownership local. Our Director of Policy @mattdpearce.com poses, “How do you remedy the damage here?” Learn more: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...

Nobel laureates Prof. Joseph E. Stiglitz and Prof. Daron Acemoğlu issued an urgent plea to recognize and uphold the economic value of public interest media in the age of artificial intelligence. Learn more: informationdemocracy.org/2025/09/22/p...

Join us in supporting local news across the country and building stronger communities! Our open positions include People & Operations Manager, Deputy Campaigns Director, and Development Manager. Apply now: www.rebuildlocalnews.org/careers/

Last week’s must-read: Politically funded “pink slime” outlets are alive and growing, shaping news from national headlines down to local college campuses. Read more at @columjournreview.bsky.social: www.cjr.org/analysis/pin...

"Political conservatives, of whom I am one, should not be averse to philanthropic funding for local public media... Without these outlets, the actions of both Republican and Democratic politicians wouldn’t get the attention and scrutiny the public deserves." Read more: www.aei.org/op-eds/a-res...

CA lawmakers have introduced the California Civic Media Program to support local news, but full discretionary grantmaking authority lies in the executive branch. Read the analysis from @mattdpearce.com: www.rebuildlocalnews.org/analysis-california-lawmakers-propose-20m-google-grant-partnership/

We’re hiring a People & Operations Manager! 🗣️ Join Rebuild Local News and help shape the systems, culture, and support that power our team’s mission to revitalize local news. Learn more: www.rebuildlocalnews.org/careers-peop...

Some U.S. publishers are striking AI licensing deals, but journalists aren’t seeing a share. In France, they do. via @niemanlab.org: www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/in-f...

Let's rebuild local news! ✊🏼

Thrilled to be a part of this crucial work! 🫡

We’re thrilled to welcome the @nwu.org to the Rebuild Local News Coalition! With over 1,000 writers, including 500 freelance journalists, NWU and its @fspnwu.bsky.social fight for fair pay, better contracts, and more opportunities for writers.

Local news is disappearing, and it’s not just empty newsrooms. It means fewer voters splitting tickets, less civic engagement, and weaker accountability for elected officials. Read more at @columjournreview.bsky.social: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...

"Eighty-three percent of the country doesn’t have a single media subscription. Readership assistance programs can help them." Read more at @columjournreview.bsky.social: www.cjr.org/opinion/news...

"What if the best way to help the media is not with carefully sculpted grants provided to worthy programs by a panel of wise people, but rather big, messy, blunt-instrument policies that push far more dollars into the system [and] lift all boats...?"

What Will the Next Era of Public Media Look Like? by Steven Waldman. www.cjr.org/analysis/wha...

After the demise of CPB, Rebuild Local News Founder @stevenwaldman.bsky.social says the industry has an opportunity to build more creative models for public support. Read more at @columjournreview.bsky.social: www.cjr.org/analysis/wha...

A group of funders has committed nearly $27M, aiming for $50M this year, to the Public Media Bridge Fund to keep at-risk rural TV and radio stations alive. Many of which are the only local news in their communities. Read more at @nytimes.com: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/b...

Weekend Read: New research finds that when voters have greater access to local news, they are less influenced by party loyalty in judging election integrity and more influenced by how elections are actually run. Read more: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261379425000769?via%3Dihub#sec7

The Department of Justice can use the ad tech monopoly remedies process to push Google to give back some of the revenue it has stolen from struggling newsrooms. We partnered with @rebuildlocalnews.bsky.social and @publicknowledge.bsky.social to ask them to do just that.

The Illinois journalism employment credits are a "critical boost," already making a difference. The Hinsdalean will get $45K in credits, nearly a month’s revenue, and will put some funds toward overdue hardware and software, helping sustain its newsroom. www.seattletimes.com/opinion/illi...

Google’s ad tech monopoly has stripped local newsrooms of vital ad revenue, forcing scaled-back coverage or closures. The result: communities lose watchdog reporting, government coverage and civic engagement. The DOJ must impose stronger remedies. Read more: www.rebuildlocalnews.org/letter-to-th...

Illinois is investing $4 million through journalist employment tax credits to 120 news outlets, supporting the retention and hiring of journalists. This new policy, crafted with help from Rebuild Local News, will strengthen coverage statewide. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...

"Journalism done well is uniquely capable of discussing local affairs with the depth and nuance they demand. By working with local news instead of against it, local leaders can empower a vital institution with the legitimacy it desperately needs." Read more: www.governing.com/management-a...

College professors can help plug local news gaps by launching state‑based media newsletters. A handful of higher‑ed pros are already tracking and analyzing their media landscapes. Learn more about these efforts via @niemanlab.org: www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/i-te...

Our recently published Local Journalist Index with @muckrack.com tracks the number of local journalists across the country. Now, Rebuild Local News President @stevenwaldman.bsky.social asks: how many local journalists does a community need to be truly informed? www.poynter.org/commentary/2...

Since 2002, local reporting capacity has dropped about 75%, from about 40 journalists to just 8.2 Local Journalist Equivalents per 100K residents. The Local Journalist Index shows where journalist capacity stands, down to the county level. Learn more: localjournalistindex.com

Big news: Press Forward awarded $1.25M to help launch low-interest loans to BIPOC-led news outlets via the Media Resilience Fund, run by @justeconomy.bsky.social and @url-media.bsky.social.‪‪ We’re proud to have played a role helping spark this effort. Learn more: www.youtube.com/shorts/LAh9f...

Join the team: We are seeking our first Director of Research, a strategic leader to shape and drive our research agenda. This role will fuel public policy solutions, strengthen advocacy, and deepen public understanding of the local news crisis. Apply now: www.rebuildlocalnews.org/careers/care...

The lack of local journalism is part of what is causing America's crisis of disconnection. When you can't learn about your neighbors, it's harder to build the commitment the community and mutual obligation that breeds purpose and identity.

The report from @rebuildlocalnews.bsky.social and @muckrack.com finds that more than 1,000 counties — one out of three in the nation — do not have the equivalent of even one full-time local journalist.

Have you explored the Local Journalist Index yet? Rebuild Local News President @stevenwaldman.bsky.social shares how its data on the journalist shortage can help entrepreneurs, funders and policymakers take targeted action to support local news. Learn more: www.rebuildlocalnews.org/severe-and-w...

Today @rebuildlocalnews.bsky.social and @muckrack.com released a major new study on the number of local journalists per 100,000 people. The local news crisis is more severe and widespread than we thought.

This is a really important project by @rebuildlocalnews.bsky.social and @muckrack.com showing the decline in the number of journalists across the U.S., down to the county level. Really shocking numbers that should spur communities and lawmakers to action.

The Local Journalist Index is live: A first-of-its-kind report from @muckrack.com and Rebuild Local News reveals a more widespread, severe shortage of local journalists across the U.S. than previously understood. Read the report: localjournalistindex.com

After serving in the Coast Guard and Army, two veterans found new purpose through @npr.org internships, continuing their commitment to public service. They say federal cuts to public media risk the local reporting that communities rely on across the country. www.poynter.org/commentary/2...

Big win for local news: California commits $15 million in renewed funding for its Local News Fellowship Program. The funding will support new reporting and editor-level fellows, along with sustainability training. Learn more: journalism.berkeley.edu/15-million-t...

Exciting news: We're thrilled to welcome @genelewisperry.bsky.social to the team as our new Senior Policy Manager! Perry previously led government relations for Cherokee Nation Businesses and advanced policy at the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Learn more: www.rebuildlocalnews.org/team/gene-pe...

The 160-year-old Tuskegee News was on the brink of closure... until an unlikely savior stepped in. With no private buyers, the Macon County Economic Development Authority bought the paper to keep local news alive. Learn more: www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/l...

ICYMI: Last week, Press Forward announced its first investments in public policy, awarding several grants to its state-level partners working to advance sustainable, reliable local news. Big moment for local journalism and the policies that support it! www.pressforward.news/press-forwar...

Big News: Rebuild Local News has been awarded $5.25M from Press Forward, @knightfoundation.org and MacArthur Foundation to drive nonpartisan state, local policies that strengthen local journalism and support the civic health of our communities. Learn more: www.rebuildlocalnews.org/rebuild-loca...

The House narrowly approved a $9.4B package of funding cuts in a 214–212 vote. That includes slashing $1.1B from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which distributes nearly all of its funding to local TV and radio stations. Learn more: laist.com/news/house-v...

Local newspapers don’t just inform. They deter abuse of power. A study found that in districts that lost a major daily, federal corruption charges rose 6.9% and cases filed jumped 7.4%. When no one’s watching, accountability fades. via @columjournreview.bsky.social: www.cjr.org/analysis/loc...

Across the country, there is growing momentum among states to support local news, not as a bailout but as essential civic infrastructure that communities can’t afford to lose. via @jonallsop.bsky.social at @newyorker.com: www.newyorker.com/news/fault-l...

Worker-led media is on the rise. On June 11, join our Policy Director @mattdpearce.com and a panel of co-op leaders, organizers, and advocates to explore how we can build a more sustainable media economy. Hosted by @wgaeast.bsky.social. Learn more: www.wgaeast.org/event/worker...

NYC’s local ad policy has delivered $72M+ to local newsrooms, helping them continue covering the communities they serve. Our Policy Manager @lorihenson.bsky.social argues its future hinges on transparency, oversight and independence. via @poynterinstitute.bsky.social www.poynter.org/commentary/2...

Meet Irma Fernandez, our new Director of Development! She’s raised major support at The AP and The Texas Tribune, and now she’s bringing that passion to our mission to revitalize community journalism. Learn more: www.rebuildlocalnews.org/team/irma-fe...

Weekend Read: A 2024 study finds five key factors -- from racial disparity to market forces -- that explain which towns lost their local papers between 2004 and 2018 and which beat the odds. Learn more: theconversation.com/why-some-tow...

Local Teens Covering Local News: A charming look at The Ditch Weekly, a seasonal newspaper about Montauk, NY, written and edited by a staff of 13-to-17-year-olds. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/23/s...

NYC’s groundbreaking policy mandating city agencies spend 50% of their ad budgets with ethnic, community newsrooms has funneled over $72M to them in five years. Read the latest @ccmnewmarkj.bsky.social report and its recommendations for the future: abi.journalism.cuny.edu/five-year-im...