Tim Franklin
timafranklin.bsky.social
Tim Franklin
@timafranklin.bsky.social
Sr. Associate Dean, Director, Medill Local News Initiative, John M. Mutz Chair in Local News, Medill School, Northwestern University
The @localnewsini.bsky.social @medillschool.bsky.social posted today a new interactive map of areas at high risk of becoming news deserts. It's based on a predictive model developed by Medill data scientists and the Local News Initiative team.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/sta...
The State of Local News 2024 | Local News Initiative
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu
May 6, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Florida billionaire David Hoffman aims to be largest local newspaper publisher in America, reports @brierdudley.bsky.social of the @seattletimes-rss.bsky.social. He's making a play to buy Lee and snapping up shares of The Dallas MN. Could McClatchy be a target? www.seattletimes.com/opinion/flor...
Florida investor aims to be America's largest newspaper publisher
A Florida billionaire buying up newspapers aims to become the country's largest publisher. Let's hope he's sincerely committed to saving local news.
www.seattletimes.com
April 21, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Reposted by Tim Franklin
#ijf25 @journalismfestival.com #Perugia

Tim Franklin (Medill, Northwestern University) on Future of Local News panel describes the vital role that universities have in "stepping up to provide journalism for low information communities."

@medillschool.bsky.social @timafranklin.bsky.social
April 10, 2025 at 9:28 AM
I enjoyed joining @rebeccasnyder.bsky.social, director of the Maryland Delaware DC Press Association, for a wide-ranging podcast discussion of expanding local news deserts, rapidly changing media ownership and innovations that are showing promise in local journalism.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRBM...
E99 - State of Local News Report
YouTube video by MDDC Press Association
www.youtube.com
January 23, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Experts warn that Mark Zuckerberg's decision to eliminate fact-checking will be a double whammy for residents in the nation's widening number of local news deserts, reports the @localnewsini.bsky.social @medillschool.bsky.social. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...
Deserted By Fact-Checking
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that Facebook is eliminating fact-checking may amount to a double whammy for people living in this country’s ever-expanding news deserts.
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu
January 22, 2025 at 5:37 PM
The @localnewsini.bsky.social released its full State of Local News Report this morning. It shows the grinding losses of local newspapers and the growing number of counties at high-risk of losing local news. It also chronicles a net gain of more than 105 digital-only local news sites in 2024.
January 8, 2025 at 4:01 PM
The crisis in local news goes deeper than news deserts. There's a growing problem of "ghost newspapers." @localnewsini.bsky.social @medillschool.bsky.social's @markcaro.bsky.social traveled to Massachusetts where there's a region haunted by ghosts
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2024/1...
Haunted By Ghost Papers
PLYMOUTH, Mass. – Mark Pothier was wrapping up the young-adult phase of his music career, including a 1983 stint as keyboardist for the then-synthy band Ministry, when he took a $5 an hour job for the...
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu
December 13, 2024 at 4:32 PM
Political commentator @chriscillizza.bsky.social highlighted the @localnewsini.bsky.social new study on presidential election results in news deserts. chriscillizza.substack.com/p/chris-cruc.... He said the Medill study included "the two most amazing paragraphs I have read about the election.
December 9, 2024 at 4:02 PM
Reposted by Tim Franklin
New: Trump won the popular vote narrowly. But in news deserts—counties where there are no local news sources or reporters —he won in a landslide. Latest by me and @volk_maps for Medill School’s Local News Initiative. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2024/1...
In news deserts, Trump won in a landslide
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu
December 5, 2024 at 7:02 PM
Researchers @medillschool.bsky.social @localnewsini.bsky.social have found that while Trump won the popular vote by only 1.5%, he won local news desert counties in a landslide. Why? We talked talked to experts like @stevenwaldman.bsky.social. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2024/1...
December 5, 2024 at 4:49 PM
New research from the @medillschool.bsky.social @localnewsini.bsky.social shows that Donald Trump won 91% of local news desert counties by an average margin of 54%. What does this mean? We talked to experts like @stevenwaldman.bsky.social. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2024/1...
In news deserts, Trump won in a landslide
localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu
December 5, 2024 at 4:41 PM