Local news remains under enormous financial pressure, but the market for community publications is far from dead. A varied group of independent publishers, entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations is stepping forward to invest in titles that still matter to their communities. Sara April, president of Dirks, Van Essen & April, says many of these buyers are motivated by more than profit. Their commitment to preserving local journalism gives her renewed optimism about its future.

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https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/when-wildfires-hit-home-inside-the-spokesman-reviews-race-to-inform-spokane,263187

When wildfires roared toward Spokane, the journalists covering the disaster suddenly found their own homes, neighbors and newsroom in its path. Three newsroom leaders reveal how The Spokesman-Review raced toward the danger to deliver lifesaving information, verify rapidly changing facts and document the devastation consuming its community. Their experience offers a powerful lesson in what local journalism demands when the story hits home.

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https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/when-wildfires-hit-home-inside-the-spokesman-reviews-race-to-inform-spokane,263187

Alternative weeklies were once the unruly heartbeat of American cities, shaping politics, culture, nightlife and public conversation before collapsing advertising and changing media habits pushed many toward extinction. Brady Walkinshaw believes the industry mistook disruption for irrelevance. Through Noisy Creek, he is acquiring, reviving and reinvesting in beloved local publications that others had written off. His wager is that their fiercely independent voices, community roots and tangible print presence may be more valuable in an increasingly automated media world than ever before.

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https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/how-noisy-creek-is-breathing-new-life-into-an-industry-many-had-written-off-a-one-on-one-with,263054

She expected to find an industry weighed down by layoffs, closures and uncertainty. Instead, a summer spent visiting independent newsrooms across America introduced Jasmine Shiffer to publishers, editors and reporters who remain deeply committed to serving their communities—and surprisingly optimistic about the future. Along the way, she discovered that local journalism's greatest strength isn't its technology or business model. It's the people who still believe the work matters.

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https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/at-24-she-drove-across-america-looking-for-the-future-of-local-news-what-she-found-surprised-her,262971

For job seekers, landing a newsroom job can feel increasingly dependent on luck, connections and an opaque hiring process. Cristina Silva, managing editor for Operations & Standards at The Boston Globe and the new author of Poynter's Ask the Recruiter column, says candidates have more control than they may realize. The key is to understand how editors make decisions, communicate clearly and make it easier for a hiring manager to see your value.

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https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/how-to-stand-out-when-journalism-jobs-are-harder-to-find,262881

Local journalism does not need another obituary. It needs a new operating model. In New Jersey, Stefanie Murray is helping build one that treats local information as civic infrastructure, supported by collaboration, philanthropy, local business revenue and carefully protected public funding. Her message to the industry: The future may not look like the past, but communities still need journalism that serves them.

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https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/can-new-jerseys-civic-information-model-help-rebuild-local-news,262753

As broadcasters debated whether to air President Donald Trump's recent prime-time address live and local newspapers continued rethinking political opinion pages, one question has become increasingly difficult to ignore: Has journalism's greatest challenge shifted from protecting free speech to preserving productive public discourse? Constitutional scholar Stuart Brotman believes the First Amendment remains remarkably strong. It is America's ability to engage respectfully with one another that is showing signs of strain.

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For decades, the leaders of America's newspaper industry have gathered separately to tackle many of the same challenges—from protecting journalism and strengthening business models to navigating public policy and emerging technology. This September, that changes as the News Media Alliance and America's Newspapers bring their flagship meetings together in Washington, D.C., creating an unprecedented week of collaboration, advocacy and education. In an exclusive conversation with E&P, Danielle Coffey and Dean Ridings explain why they believe a more unified industry is essential to protecting local journalism's future. They also discuss the growing fight over AI, the need for stronger publisher advocacy on Capitol Hill and why they remain optimistic that local news can not only survive, but thrive

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While much of the news industry continues to focus on shrinking newsrooms, disappearing newspapers and expanding news deserts, Village Media is proving another path is possible. In this exclusive E&P Reports conversation, founder and CEO Jeff Elgie and Board Chair Richard Gingras explain how their digital-first company has grown into one of North America's most successful local news organizations by putting community, audience reach and disciplined execution at the center of its strategy. Rather than chasing legacy business models, they argue that local journalism can still thrive when publishers understand how audiences and advertisers have changed. Their insights offer a practical roadmap for news leaders determined not just to survive, but to grow.

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https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/beyond-news-deserts-how-village-media-is-proving-local-journalism-can-still-grow,262431

Local media sales has entered a new era. Advertisers no longer need a salesperson to launch a marketing campaign, buy digital ads or build an online presence, giving them more choices—and less patience for generic sales pitches—than ever before. According to Dream Local Digital founder and E&P "Ad Sales Life" columnist Shannon Kinney, the sales professionals who thrive won't be those with the best rate cards or biggest audiences. They'll be the ones who consistently deliver ideas, insights and strategic value, positioning themselves as trusted advisors rather than order takers.

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https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/shannon-kinney-why-todays-media-sellers-must-become-trusted-advisors,262305