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15 ways funders, J-Schools and researchers can better support local journalism
The story of local journalism in the United States tends to get overlooked in a narrative dominated by larger players. But, small-market publications represent a major cohort that we know very little about — and one that actually knows little about itself.
In a bid to redress this, the Tow Center for Digital Journalism kindly supported Dr. Christopher Ali and I over the past year, as we explored key questions about securing the future of local newsrooms.
Our conclusions derived from 53 in-depth interviews with experts from across industry, academia and foundations — all with a strong interest in local news — and the experiences of 420 local journalists who responded to an online survey that we fielded at the end of last year.
From our research, it became clear that small-market outlets can’t do it alone. Other important stakeholders have, and already play, a significant role in this space. But what more can be done? And how might some of these efforts be recalibrated?
Below we offer a number of specialist recommendations aimed at three key constituents: funders, journalism schools and researchers.
For each group, we identify five actionable recommendations based on insights from interviewees, examples of…
