Medill Local News Initiative
@localnewsini.bsky.social
Started as a bike blog. Became a local newsroom. Jonathan Maus talks with Medill about BikePortland’s 20-year ride.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
From Portland cycling blog to local news site
When Jonathan Maus launched BikePortland in 2005, he was not a journalist. A marketing consultant and cycling enthusiast who’d recently moved to Portland, Maus initially blogged for The Oregonian news...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu
November 18, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Started as a bike blog. Became a local newsroom. Jonathan Maus talks with Medill about BikePortland’s 20-year ride.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
Newsletters are having a moment. With Facebook referrals down 50% this year and AI search cutting into traffic, outlets like the San Antonio Express-News are leaning on direct-to-inbox updates and seeing immediate payoff.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...
Email over algorithms: how newsrooms are reclaiming their audiences
It was big NBA news when the San Antonio Spurs signed a $229 million contract extension with star point guard De’Aaron Fox this summer. But for the San Antonio Express-News, the timing of the four-yea...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu
November 17, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Newsletters are having a moment. With Facebook referrals down 50% this year and AI search cutting into traffic, outlets like the San Antonio Express-News are leaning on direct-to-inbox updates and seeing immediate payoff.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...
🎉 Big news: We just won the 2024 Chicago Innovation Award! Honored to be recognized for our work in advancing the future of local journalism. Thank you to our incredible team, and to the partners, funders, and newsrooms who make this work possible.
www.medill.northwestern.edu/news/2025/th...
www.medill.northwestern.edu/news/2025/th...
The Medill Local News Initiative is Named Winner Chicago Innovation Award - Medill - Northwestern University
The Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern University has been named one of the winners of a prestigious Chicago Innovation Award. Medill’s award was announced last night downtown at a ceremony ...
www.medill.northwestern.edu
November 14, 2025 at 8:44 PM
🎉 Big news: We just won the 2024 Chicago Innovation Award! Honored to be recognized for our work in advancing the future of local journalism. Thank you to our incredible team, and to the partners, funders, and newsrooms who make this work possible.
www.medill.northwestern.edu/news/2025/th...
www.medill.northwestern.edu/news/2025/th...
Reposted by Medill Local News Initiative
Congrats to @localnewsini.bsky.social for being named one of the winners of the prestigious Chicago Innovation Award! The annual award is the region’s foremost recognition of the most innovative new products or services brought to market. Read more: spr.ly/633217ZhbT
The Medill Local News Initiative is Named Winner Chicago Innovation Award - Medill - Northwestern University
The Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern University has been named one of the winners of a prestigious Chicago Innovation Award. Medill’s award was announced last night downtown at a ceremony that included 700 Chicago business, political and civic leaders. The annual Chicago Innovation Award is the region’s foremost recognition of the most innovative new products or services brought to market.
spr.ly
November 14, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Congrats to @localnewsini.bsky.social for being named one of the winners of the prestigious Chicago Innovation Award! The annual award is the region’s foremost recognition of the most innovative new products or services brought to market. Read more: spr.ly/633217ZhbT
Three competing newsrooms. One thriving local news ecosystem.
Baltimore’s vibrant local media landscape stands out as the rest of the country faces newsroom cuts.
By Paul Farhi:
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...
Baltimore’s vibrant local media landscape stands out as the rest of the country faces newsroom cuts.
By Paul Farhi:
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...
Baltimore bucks the trend
The appointment of a new inspector general isn’t typically the sexiest local-news topic, but it may have been the hottest story going this summer in Baltimore County. Amid suggestions of political fav...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu
November 11, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Three competing newsrooms. One thriving local news ecosystem.
Baltimore’s vibrant local media landscape stands out as the rest of the country faces newsroom cuts.
By Paul Farhi:
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...
Baltimore’s vibrant local media landscape stands out as the rest of the country faces newsroom cuts.
By Paul Farhi:
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...
Partnering up in suburban Chicago: The employee-owned Daily Herald adapts to new ways of delivering local news while staying true to its mission of serving communities.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
Partnering up in suburban Chicago
Serving communities around suburban Chicago remains the mission, even if methods of delivering information have evolved since the predecessor newspaper to today's Daily Herald was founded in 1871.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu
November 4, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Partnering up in suburban Chicago: The employee-owned Daily Herald adapts to new ways of delivering local news while staying true to its mission of serving communities.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
Per Medill’s 2025 State of Local News Report, only 46% of U.S. newspapers remain independently owned — down from 54% twenty years ago.
But in the Northwest, a few publishers are defying the odds.
By Brier Dudley for @localnewsini.bsky.social :
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...
But in the Northwest, a few publishers are defying the odds.
By Brier Dudley for @localnewsini.bsky.social :
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...
Northwest publishers avoiding consolidation or closure, maintaining independence
Publisher Les Zaitz spent three years trying to save his pride and joy.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu
November 3, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Per Medill’s 2025 State of Local News Report, only 46% of U.S. newspapers remain independently owned — down from 54% twenty years ago.
But in the Northwest, a few publishers are defying the odds.
By Brier Dudley for @localnewsini.bsky.social :
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...
But in the Northwest, a few publishers are defying the odds.
By Brier Dudley for @localnewsini.bsky.social :
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...
How do you reach rural readers across multiple states and keep journalism sustainable?
In the Deep South, local newsrooms are finding strength in collaboration.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
In the Deep South, local newsrooms are finding strength in collaboration.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
Banding together to reach more of the rural South
A few years ago, as journalists in New Orleans explored forming Verite News, a light bulb went on for some of the people they were consulting. Mississippi Today, a nonprofit outlet founded in 2016, wa...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu
October 30, 2025 at 6:45 PM
How do you reach rural readers across multiple states and keep journalism sustainable?
In the Deep South, local newsrooms are finding strength in collaboration.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
In the Deep South, local newsrooms are finding strength in collaboration.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
New from the State of Local News Project: how public radio lifelines like KOTZ in Alaska are being pushed to the brink.
localnews.knilab.com/posts/2025/1...
localnews.knilab.com/posts/2025/1...
October 28, 2025 at 4:51 PM
New from the State of Local News Project: how public radio lifelines like KOTZ in Alaska are being pushed to the brink.
localnews.knilab.com/posts/2025/1...
localnews.knilab.com/posts/2025/1...
New from the State of Local News Project: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...
October 27, 2025 at 3:29 PM
New from the State of Local News Project: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...
Reposted by Medill Local News Initiative
The State of Local News 2025 from @localnewsini.bsky.social finds that promising developments are being swamped by deeper negative trends. We’re losing the race against time for local news.
Read an analysis by @stevenwaldman.bsky.social: www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/were...
Read an analysis by @stevenwaldman.bsky.social: www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/were...
We’re losing the race against time - Editor and Publisher
The core news out of Medill’s extraordinary State of Local News 2025 report is: there are positive developments in local news but they’re being swamped by the negative trends. We’re losing the race a...
www.editorandpublisher.com
October 22, 2025 at 7:39 PM
The State of Local News 2025 from @localnewsini.bsky.social finds that promising developments are being swamped by deeper negative trends. We’re losing the race against time for local news.
Read an analysis by @stevenwaldman.bsky.social: www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/were...
Read an analysis by @stevenwaldman.bsky.social: www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/were...
"In recent years South Carolina's oldest newspaper has deepened its commitment to local journalism -- and broadened coverage across the state. Two years after a "CBS Morning News" profile, we revisited The Post and Courier."
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
Securing the future of local news across S.C.
In recent years South Carolina's oldest newspaper has deepened its commitment to local journalism -- and broadened coverage across the state. Two years after a
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu
October 21, 2025 at 4:05 PM
"In recent years South Carolina's oldest newspaper has deepened its commitment to local journalism -- and broadened coverage across the state. Two years after a "CBS Morning News" profile, we revisited The Post and Courier."
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
The @medillschool.bsky.social 2025 State of Local News Report is now live, filled with articles, graphics, maps and photos documenting the loss of local newspapers, increase in digital sites and emergence of "Bright Spots."
Read here: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
Read here: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
The State of Local News 2025
The latest insights and trends on the local news landscape across the country. Through data and graphics, explore the state of local news outlets and learn about news deserts, network sites and pathwa...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu
October 20, 2025 at 2:58 PM
The @medillschool.bsky.social 2025 State of Local News Report is now live, filled with articles, graphics, maps and photos documenting the loss of local newspapers, increase in digital sites and emergence of "Bright Spots."
Read here: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
Read here: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
Breaking: Illinois Press Association CEO Don Craven resigns after a split with the board over an ICE lawsuit tied to journalist protections.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...
Illinois Press Association CEO Resigns After Dispute Over ICE Lawsuit
The CEO of the Illinois Press Association, who had joined a lawsuit against the Trump administration for actions toward journalists outside a Chicago-area ICE facility, resigned this week following a ...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu
October 9, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Breaking: Illinois Press Association CEO Don Craven resigns after a split with the board over an ICE lawsuit tied to journalist protections.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/1...
The 2025 Chicago-Area News Consumption Survey from Medill and the University of Chicago looks at how residents get their local news. The trend is shifting fast, with smartphones leading the way and content creators rivaling newspapers. Read here:
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
October 6, 2025 at 3:04 PM
The 2025 Chicago-Area News Consumption Survey from Medill and the University of Chicago looks at how residents get their local news. The trend is shifting fast, with smartphones leading the way and content creators rivaling newspapers. Read here:
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
The sale of eight Illinois newspapers to out-of-state Paxton Media raises questions after publishers reportedly skipped the 120-day notice required by the new state law meant to keep ownership local. Read more here:
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
Sale of Illinois newspapers puts new state law to the test
SPRINGFIELD – A newspaper publisher in central and southern Illinois has sold eight of its Illinois papers to a Kentucky-based company, testing a new state law designed to keep newspaper ownership loc...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu
September 22, 2025 at 3:26 PM
The sale of eight Illinois newspapers to out-of-state Paxton Media raises questions after publishers reportedly skipped the 120-day notice required by the new state law meant to keep ownership local. Read more here:
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
Reposted by Medill Local News Initiative
In a new survey commissioned by the @localnewsini.bsky.social, findings show the changing ways in which people’s news behaviors are evolving. Plus, they provide both dire warning signals for the news industry, and reasons for optimism. Read more: spr.ly/63325AKu7c
September 10, 2025 at 3:20 PM
In a new survey commissioned by the @localnewsini.bsky.social, findings show the changing ways in which people’s news behaviors are evolving. Plus, they provide both dire warning signals for the news industry, and reasons for optimism. Read more: spr.ly/63325AKu7c
Reposted by Medill Local News Initiative
The @localnewsini.bsky.social is a finalist for a Chicago Innovation Award! 🎉 It recognizes innovative new products, services, and organizations in the Chicago region, celebrating breakthroughs that improve lives. Vote here for the "People's Choice" Award: spr.ly/63321Ap2O7
September 19, 2025 at 4:00 PM
The @localnewsini.bsky.social is a finalist for a Chicago Innovation Award! 🎉 It recognizes innovative new products, services, and organizations in the Chicago region, celebrating breakthroughs that improve lives. Vote here for the "People's Choice" Award: spr.ly/63321Ap2O7
From audience strategy to AI training, Medill’s new Shared Services Hub is partnering with Chicago news outlets to strengthen local journalism and sustain reliable coverage.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
Medill launches shared services hub to continue strengthening Chicago local news
The Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications announced the creation of a shared services hub, which will provide expertise and infrastructure support to news outlets in...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu
September 17, 2025 at 6:59 PM
From audience strategy to AI training, Medill’s new Shared Services Hub is partnering with Chicago news outlets to strengthen local journalism and sustain reliable coverage.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
Just released: The 2025 Chicago-Area News Consumption Survey from Medill and the University of Chicago.
How residents get their local news is shifting fast — from smartphones leading the way to content creators rivaling newspapers.
Full report: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
How residents get their local news is shifting fast — from smartphones leading the way to content creators rivaling newspapers.
Full report: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
September 10, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Just released: The 2025 Chicago-Area News Consumption Survey from Medill and the University of Chicago.
How residents get their local news is shifting fast — from smartphones leading the way to content creators rivaling newspapers.
Full report: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
How residents get their local news is shifting fast — from smartphones leading the way to content creators rivaling newspapers.
Full report: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
"Without being too preachy, “The Paper” captures the relentless cost-cutting of corporate newspaper owners, the loss of institutional knowledge in newsrooms and the idealism of those still pursuing a journalism career."
Brier Dudley for LNI:
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
Brier Dudley for LNI:
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
Wincing at ‘The Paper,’ a Newspaper Spinoff of ‘The Office’
It’s not as hilarious as “The Office” but the spinoff series “The Paper” often hits its mark, painfully.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu
September 9, 2025 at 3:55 PM
"Without being too preachy, “The Paper” captures the relentless cost-cutting of corporate newspaper owners, the loss of institutional knowledge in newsrooms and the idealism of those still pursuing a journalism career."
Brier Dudley for LNI:
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
Brier Dudley for LNI:
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
When local news disappears, secrecy thrives.
A new study finds that government secrecy grows strongest in states hardest hit by the local news crisis.
Full story: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
A new study finds that government secrecy grows strongest in states hardest hit by the local news crisis.
Full story: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
August 28, 2025 at 4:12 PM
When local news disappears, secrecy thrives.
A new study finds that government secrecy grows strongest in states hardest hit by the local news crisis.
Full story: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
A new study finds that government secrecy grows strongest in states hardest hit by the local news crisis.
Full story: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
Skamania County, WA, has one local paper left—no online edition, few staff, and just six pages. Is this survival or the spread of news deserts?
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
A verdant news desert in Skamania County
On election nights, there should be electricity in a newsroom — and pizza bought by the editor.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu
August 25, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Skamania County, WA, has one local paper left—no online edition, few staff, and just six pages. Is this survival or the spread of news deserts?
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...