Rebuild Local News

Rural communities face significant barriers to information access as three-quarters of news deserts are located in predominantly rural counties. As digital local news sites and networks emerge, for example, they tend to concentrate in metro and suburban areas, highlighting the challenges rural residents face in accessing robust sources of local news. Learn more at Medill Local News Initiative: https://lnkd.in/gFNuMaea #LocalNews #Media #Journalism #Rural #Digital

We’re excited to announce our new presence on Bluesky! Along with our posts on X and LinkedIn, we’ll be sharing updates on policy developments, shifts in the local news landscape, and valuable resources. Follow us to stay informed no matter where you are: https://t.co/zPw5YzdXOm #Bluesky #SocialMedia #Nonprofit #Media #Journalism #LocalNews

Rebuild Local News is hiring for two key roles: Executive Support & Operations Coordinator and Policy Manager for Technology. Join our team and help shape the future of local journalism! Apply Now: https://lnkd.in/gEqRav3T #Hiring #LocalNews #JournalismJobs #TechPolicy #NonprofitJobs #RebuildLocalNews #MediaImpact

The Rebuild Local News team is growing! We're looking for two new team members that are passionate about advancing public policy to support local news. We're hiring for an Executive Assistant & Operations Coordinator and a Policy Manager for Technology. Head to the Rebuild website to learn more:

Nearly 55 million Americans have limited or no access to local news, with 206 counties lacking any news source and 1,561 relying on just one. Over 250 of these areas also face high poverty, putting their access to vital information at further risk. Learn more at Medill Local News Initiative: https://lnkd.in/gNW9SuHN #Journalism #LocalNews #Media #NewsDeserts #Information #Civic #Community

The contraction of local news has created a vacuum that has been filled by national media (which is more polarizing) and social media (polarizing and & more hospitable to falsehoods). This election is partly explained by the transformation in how voters get information. Local news needs to reach voters where they are – Facebook local groups, Next Door, Reddit, Tik Tok, text messaging, WhatsApp. I mean actually embed ourselves, have our workflow and output be informed by and report to people where they ingest information. We need 25,000 more local reporters, living in the communities they cover. We need to rebuild trust, on the ground, one reporter at a time, not only through what they write but their daily interactions at school board meetings and grocery lines.

Our team is growing! If you see possibilities for tech and public policy to help solve the local news crisis, we want to hear from you.

Join our team as a Policy Manager for Technology! In this role, you'll help craft policies that encourage the tech sector to support local journalism and collaborate with newsrooms, civic advocates, and policymakers to drive meaningful change and strengthen the future of local news. Apply now: https://lnkd.in/gVDfNnGX #Hiring #Jobs #Journalism #Policy

@PhillyInquirer is a for-profit, owned by a great nonprofit (Lenfest Institute for Journalism.) Has ads, subscriptions and donations. Breaks even. And models how to cover local elections, as Jim Friedlich explains: "The Inquirer has fielded the region’s largest political reporting team, and dedicated nearly its full investigative news team to coverage throughout the campaign. Every Voice, Every Vote, a coalition of more than 25 Philadelphia media organizations and 50 community groups, has engaged voters with public meetings, church gatherings, news coverage, candidate debates, and public opinion research. Spotlight PA, a four-year-old statewide news organization serving 105 news organizations across the commonwealth, has produced unparalleled, multilingual voter guides, election resources, and artificial intelligence-assisted tools to answer voter questions 24/7."'

Since 2005, U.S. newspapers have lost over 266,000 jobs—a 73% drop. Newsroom roles declined by 60%, falling below 100,000 for the first time in two decades—the "single largest drop" among all industries tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Learn more at Medill Local News Initiative: https://t.co/FvQejAd9Kp #Journalism #LocalNews #Newspaper #Media #Research #Employment