ACCELERATING LOCAL NEWS:
Public Media Company
Launching Major Initiative
to Grow Local Newsrooms
A new initiative from Public Media Company, funded by a significant grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, aims to strengthen local public media’s ability to expand news coverage and address the ongoing crisis in access to local news and information.
CRITICAL MOMENT FOR LOCAL NEWS
Local community news is facing a crisis. In the past two decades, the U.S. has lost over two thousand local newspapers, and studies show that around 1,800 communities are now "news deserts"—places with little to no local news coverage. The impact of these closures is significant: communities lose trusted sources of information, civic engagement declines, and government accountability weakens.
PUBLIC MEDIA AS A SOLUTION
Amid this crisis, local public and community media organizations offer a powerful and sustainable solution. With hundreds of local newsrooms and thousands of dedicated journalists, public media reaches tens of millions of people across the country. These organizations not only deliver critical and trusted information but also have a proven, sustainable business model that supports long-term viability. In fact, local public radio organizations operate nearly 300 local newsrooms, employing over 4,000 journalists who are deeply embedded in their communities. Numbers that rise even higher with the inclusion of local public television and community radio station newsrooms.
As local newspapers continue to decline and disappear, access to reliable local news and information is becoming harder to find. Local public media organizations are stepping up to fill this void, providing in-depth, trustworthy reporting that keeps citizens informed and communities strong. But we can—and must—do more.
OUR NEW INITIATIVE
To help address the crisis in local journalism, PMC’s new initiative will launch in early 2025. The project will provide public and other local media organizations with the tools and resources they need to better understand and respond to the information needs of their communities. It will offer data-driven insight into local news ecosystems and direct support to launch, grow, and scale local news services, particularly in underserved communities where access to quality information is most at risk.
We also welcome other entrepreneurs, innovators, and community leaders who are passionate about sustaining and growing local news and information. Expanding access to local news will require fostering new partnerships and supporting creative solutions, and we aim to help strengthen a variety of approaches to addressing the local news crisis.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Information and actionable insights will be publicly shared on a new website that will be regularly updated with the latest findings and ways to support organizations addressing local news inequities. This will include a comprehensive picture of a community’s local news ecosystem (newspapers, digital media, ethnic media, TV news, etc.), the status of local public and community media (newsrooms, journalists, reach, news output, etc.), as well as local demographic and funding insights. Critically, the data will be supported by practical information on how local media organizations can and are addressing local inequities, including examples, case studies, guides, and more individualized support from Public Media Company staff.
JOIN US IN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF LOCAL NEWS
The need for strong, local news has never been more urgent. But building the future of local news requires collective effort. If you have questions, ideas, or suggestions—or if you represent an organization interested in growing local news—get in touch with us today. Let’s work together to ensure that every community has access to the trustworthy, reliable news it deserves.