Lenfest Institute for Journalism

Thank you NEWSWELL at Arizona State University for hosting us and our partners last week. It was an inspiring few days discussing the future of AI and local news.

As part of the Beyond Print program, the Bangor Daily News experimented with QR codes to drive single-copy print readers to its digital products. As is the nature of experiments, it didn't quite work as they planned. But it provided significant insights for their business. “Even though the concept we tested underperformed, the project itself provided a valuable opportunity to work across departments as a ‘mini publisher’ team, developing common metrics and ways of working,” said Jo Easton, BDN director of development. “And we can all use the occasional reminder that it’s OK to decide something doesn’t work or isn’t helpful enough.” Kirsten Staples spoke with Easton about what the BDN team learned from the process and shared those insights as part of the Beyond Print Toolkit, a free guide from The Lenfest Institute and the American Press Institute that helps publishers move away from print toward a sustainable digital future.?

Local newsrooms face increasing challenges in demonstrating the impact of their journalism, especially when it comes to securing philanthropic support from individual donors and organizations. But everyone in your organization can become well-versed in making the case for local news, not just your fundraising team. The Lenfest News Philanthropy Network is excited to host a three-part virtual series featuring newsroom leaders who are actively working to create unified messaging that highlights the value of the local journalism they produce and engages funders. Register now to hear from: ?? Christopher Baxter of Spotlight PA? ?? Kimberly Griffin of Mississippi Free Press ?? and Anita Li of The Green Line?

There are signs of hope blooming for local journalism: Locally owned legacy newspapers are transforming themselves into digital powerhouses, journalism entrepreneurs are creating community-focused publications that put the public’s interest first, and individuals are turning to less traditional platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok to share important information with their communities. We’re proud to be a part of the movement to reinvent local news. Today, we’re sharing our 2024 Impact Report, which details how we continued working toward this mission last year — and how your support made it all possible.?

???????? ?????????????? ??????????????????: ?????? ???? ???????????????????????? ???? ???????????? ??????????: ????????????????????, ???????????????????? ?????? ?????????????? ?????????????? As print revenue declines and digital-first models become essential for sustainability, news organizations must rethink their strategies. This session at the News Industry Mega-Conference will explore how newspapers can successfully transition beyond #print, balancing #audience engagement, #revenue diversification and operational challenges. Tristan Loper, head of national programs at Lenfest Institute for Journalism, will share insights from one prominent news organization’s digital transformation — one of the most notable case studies in the industry. Learn how they evolved their business model, built a sustainable #digital revenue stream and restructured their #newsroom to thrive in a digital-first world. https://lnkd.in/ehBUTSDn

“The domestic threat to U.S. public media has become even more apparent as the administration chooses to shutter American media abroad,” writes Jim Friedlich in The Philadelphia Inquirer. “In silencing the Voice of America, President Trump could hardly have broadcast his intentions more loudly.” Our Executive Director and CEO on the growing threats to independent journalism ??

At the Lenfest-Aspen Digital Local News Summit, much of the conversation centered around how to better serve communities and help audiences feel closer to reporters. To former ProPublica President Richard Tofel, one of the most thought-provoking propositions for reinventing local news is the idea of moving away from traditional, topic-based beats and toward neighborhood and regional ones. “This simple but fairly radical notion of how to organize the scarcest and most valuable of newsroom resources — reporting talent — strikes me as a powerful and potentially revolutionary idea for local news orgs,” he writes. “A neighborhood focus for the deployment of reporters is an idea we ought to reckon with more seriously.”

Millennials and Gen Z are the two largest demographic groups in Philadelphia, but they don't turn out to vote as much as their older counterparts. A growing number of nonprofit organizations within the Every Voice, Every Vote coalition are aiming to change that through civics-related programming and content. Jared Council breaks down the data on voter turnout rates among young Philadelphians and goes behind the scenes on how organizations across the city — including PA Youth Vote, Philly Philm Factory, We Talk Weekly LLC, VUOTS, the The Wealth + Work Futures Lab at Drexel University, and others — are working to get Philly’s youth civically engaged.

Press freedoms are under threat. At the Lenfest-Aspen Digital Local News Summit, Joel Simon asked journalists to focus our efforts on defending our First Amendment rights. “Playing effective defense is not a retreat. In fact, it’s not going to be easy to hold our ground. If we succeed, we will be defending not only our own rights, but the rights of all Americans — to be informed and to access information they choose, to be full participants in their own future and that of the country,” he writes. “Journalists can’t save democracy. But we can serve it.”?

I'm excited to be leading a panel at the Keystone News Summit, which will take place May 15-16, 2025 in Harrisburg, PA. This first-of-its-kind conference focused on highlighting and alignining efforts across Pennsylvania is a collaboration between Temple University, Penn State University, Point Park University, Lehigh University, my team at the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, and many other stakeholders. Hope to see all my PA journalism friends there!