CalMatters’ Post

The L.A. Local News Initiative, announced today, is a $15 million effort to grow and support local news in the region. The initiative will operate and support local newsrooms covering neighborhood, regional and state levels in service of Los Angeles communities. The initiative is using input gathered from 900 Angelenos across the region as part of an extensive community engagement effort led by AJP and local civic leaders. L.A. Local News Initiative will: 📌 Fill gaps in community journalism through hyperlocal publications in areas that need more coverage. This approach is modeled after that of Boyle Heights Beat, an outlet that serves as a primary, trusted source for Boyle Heights and East LA residents. 📌 Invest in more regional reporting by bolstering the reporting teams at LAist and CalMatters. These teams will work together to produce original accountability reporting on all issues facing L.A. 📌 Foster collaboration across LA. By investing in content sharing and shared resources, the initiative will help existing outlets bring more journalism to more people. So far, it has formed collaborative partnerships with 20 media outlets and universities. Supported by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, Spiegel Family Fund and American Journalism Project, among others, the L.A. Local News Initiative is part of a national movement to reimagine #localnews.

🚨Interesting study alert!🚨 Newsroom success is often measured using internal metrics like traffic, revenue growth, donor/subscriber retention, etc. But often, these KPIs only account for people who are already within the newsrooms' orbit. What about the broader impact of these independent journalism outlets on the communities they cover? My team at the Lenfest Institute for Journalism (Diana L. and Allie Vanyur with National Programs, Joseph Lichterman and Hayley Slusser on comms, and my predecessor Amy L. Kovac-Ashley) collaborated with Danny Hayes, a professor in the George Washington University Department of Political Science, to survey residents in states served by three newsrooms—The Center For Michigan | Bridge Michigan | BridgeDetroit, Montana Free Press, and New Hampshire Public Radio. We conducted surveys in each state in April, May, and June 2024, partnering with the firm Qualtrics. Respondents were adult (18+) residents of each state and were recruited from Qualtrics’ research panel. The results are enlightening and provide real insights into residents’ news habits, views on important issues, and levels of civic engagement. We also conducted a content analysis to assess the contribution each outlet makes to its state’s information environment. Read the study here:

Journalism on the rise? So many interesting insights in the Summer 2024 OnPoynt report “Values Rising: Trends and traction in journalism and the news industry, a report from The Poynter Institute.”

Here’s a list from the Newmark School.

📚 According to new research by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, the survival and success of local newsrooms hinge on two critical tasks: 1️⃣ Becoming experts in identifying unmet needs in our communities. 2️⃣ Consistently producing the most reliable journalism addressing those needs. Easy, right? The study offers a compilation of good ideas that can help newsrooms thrive by focusing on what truly matters: serving their communities with accuracy and dedication to finding their audiences where they already are: https://lnkd.in/eqSTmqEM One example from North Carolina: The News Reporter in Whiteville saw a need for growth and development stories, new story forms and a voter guide. Because the team identified and produced excellent journalism to meet those needs, the paper has seen essential subscriber growth: https://lnkd.in/dpZTjqJJ What other news organizations are pivoting to meet the information needs in their communities? #localnews #research #communityneeds

How can local news operators take control of their destiny? At the Local News Summit, put on by Lenfest Institute for Journalism Institute and Aspen Digital, several dozen local news leaders worked on just this question over three days in Charleston this week. Here are some opportunities for local news operators surfaced during these great conversations. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲, 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢. This may be the last presidential election where news organizations can count on referrals from search and social media. Are you ready to turn this episodic attention into long-run support? Can you capture emails like your life depends on it? Are you already selling sponsorships to maximize the returns on your hard work? The time may be short – but the time is now to make this election year count for your business. (If you want to talk about how to get ready, send me a note). 𝐏𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐛𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬. Trei Brundrett's excellent exhortation to think about how the technology will empower us, not intermediate us, sparked plenty of great ideas about things to try. While small newsrooms won’t be first movers, they can be fast followers, and by remaining open and following the AI conversation, they can put these incredible tools to work quickly and efficiently this year and in those to come. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 “𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦” 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲.  While the meta media picture can feel dark, you'll find both traction and purpose when you situate your work and organization among other civic and community institutions. S. Mitra Kalita's powerful reframing of our work in this way helps us better contextualize success from “How am I doing against the industry benchmark?” (a question we get all the time) to “How important are we to the place we live?” … 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫. When you understand what’s possible in your community (through analysis of how many people in your market you can actually serve, for example), you can build a powerful business strategy. I’d encourage anyone to read about Andrew Morse's work at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The scale of their effort is not necessarily replicable. The quality of their approach is. Plenty of organizations are ready to back publishers taking their future into their own hands: American Journalism Project, National Trust for Local News, Newspack, and News Revenue Hub were a few of those present. Your friends at Blue Engine Collaborative are honored to be a co-traveler to those working hard to figure things out. Let’s talk soon, friends.

It's exciting to see innovative news organizations now also innovating their audience strategy through partnerships and distribution! As the traditional audience channels of search and social become less effective at driving audience and engagement for quality journalism, partnerships and distribution networks are going to be increasingly fundamental for reaching the largest audience and having the greatest impact. On top of that, commercial interests will increasingly be looking for scaled direct paths to engage legitimate audiences. Partner networks will be a perfect solution. Kudos to The 19th for being a leader on the audience/business side of journalism as well as the editorial side of the emerging news industry. Emily Ramshaw, Amanda Zamora, Abby Johnston, Julia B. Chan, Simone Coxe, Jonathan Aberman, Mark Walsh, Cabot Brown https://lnkd.in/gXTPGdVQ

The essence of journalism lies in citizen reporting, and whether we embrace it or not, it seems we may be returning to an era of citizen journalism. Yesterday, the LinkedIn news team picked up an article written by True Stars contributor Lena Grundhoefer z₃. It was great to see True Stars and Lena featured alongside a similar piece by Forbes. This development is particularly exciting because we aspire to elevate diverse voices through collaborative storytelling and community engagement within our magazine. As the landscape of journalism and media continues to evolve, with more individuals consuming news via social media, current trends indicate a probable shift in media ownership toward community-centered models. Web3 and co-ownership have the potential to take community-driven media to a new level where contributors can co-create and co-own. We are transitioning from traditional top-down broadcasting to a paradigm of collaborative storytelling and citizen journalism. One of the dangers of this transition is obviously the growing risk of disinformation. But I am optimistic that community fact-checking as well as educating writers and content creators on how to become citizen journalists are solutions. What are your thoughts? https://lnkd.in/eZr_vfmA #web3 #media #community

📢 New LinkedIn Post 📢 Title: The Resurgence of Local Journalism: Celebrating Communities, Amplifying Voices Hello, #LinkedIn community! 👋 Today, I want to shine a light on a remarkable phenomenon that is taking place: the resurgence of local journalism. 📰 In recent years, we've witnessed the rise of digital media and global news platforms, which have undoubtedly brought numerous benefits. However, amidst this landscape, the importance of local journalism cannot be overlooked. Local journalism serves as the heartbeat of our communities, connecting people, and amplifying their stories. Local journalists are the dedicated storytellers who dive deep into our neighborhoods, uncovering the triumphs, challenges, and hidden gems that make our communities unique. They celebrate the achievements of local businesses, shed light on important issues, and give a voice to the underrepresented. The revitalization of local journalism brings with it several key benefits: 1️⃣ Community Engagement: Local journalism fosters community engagement by promoting dialogue, encouraging civic participation, and empowering individuals to take action on local issues. It strengthens the social fabric that binds us together. 2️⃣ Trust and Credibility: Local journalists build trust and credibility by forging relationships with community members. They are familiar faces who genuinely care about the stories they cover, earning the respect and trust of their audience. 3️⃣ Nuanced Perspectives: Local journalists provide nuanced perspectives on regional matters that may be overlooked by larger news outlets. They dig beneath the surface to uncover the untold stories, shedding light on the diverse experiences and challenges within our communities. 4️⃣ Economic Support: Local journalism contributes to the economic health of communities. By highlighting local businesses, events, and initiatives, it drives awareness and supports the growth of the local economy. As we celebrate the resurgence of local journalism, let's recognize the vital role it plays in strengthening our communities. By supporting local news outlets, subscribing to local publications, and engaging with their content, we can ensure the continued growth and impact of local journalism. I invite you to share your favorite local journalism stories or publications in the comments below. Let's celebrate the journalists who work tirelessly to elevate our communities and encourage a vibrant, informed, and connected society. Together, we can amplify the voices of our communities and empower local journalism to thrive once again! 🌟 #LocalJournalism #CommunityMatters #AmplifyVoices #LinkedInCommunity

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦! Journalists using Qurio are literally changing the game of audience engagement. They are stepping into the vital role of community conveners, as highlighted by a recent American Press Institute article. Qurio enables direct, meaningful interactions between newsrooms and their audiences, fostering a deeper connection just because Curiosity + Journalism = 🔥 . These interactions help journalists understand and serve their communities more effectively. By collecting insights directly from readers, Qurio enhances public trust and engagement. Each dialogue offered a clearer view of the audience's needs and expectations. Newsrooms become hubs of community insights, driving more relevant and impactful journalism. This approach not only builds trust but also secures the future of journalism in our digital age. Are you ready to transform your newsroom with Qurio? As we roll into our private beta phase, we have a few spots left! Just message me to start convening with your audience today! #Journalism #AudienceEngagement #MediaInnovation #LocalNews #ReclaimCuriosity💪 https://lnkd.in/dEGJWGR3