When local is national

When a major national story breaks in its town, a local news organization can tap a deep well of knowledge of its community, its people, its economy and geography. After the big papers and TV trucks have left, however, the work continues.

And it’s not easy. This is a point Louis Amestoy, the editor and publisher of the Kerr County Lead, makes in Editor & Publisher this week. After the deadly flooding in Texas in July, he writes, the national media has gone but “we remain committed to the long haul.”

Local journalists who’ve covered stories of national interest in their communities know the feeling: The big-time reporters are gone, but a multitude of local follow-up threads remain: legal fights, long-term environmental damage, economic impacts and rebuilding efforts.

More than a year after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in 2024, the Baltimore Banner, which was praised for its coverage during the disaster, is still following the story’s many angles. The Los Angeles wildfires left lasting impacts, as reflected by reporting in the LA Public Press. High-profile shootings leave their own trail of follow-ups for local journalists.

Staying with these stories takes time and digging, but it is essential. Amestoy, in fact, argues for a rethinking of how local news organizations can be better supported when these stories break. “We could create a special journalism team to respond quickly or establish a network of explainers,” he says.

News In Focus
Headlines, resources and events aligned with API’s four areas of focus.

Civic Discourse & Democracy

>> Where America stands on the First Amendment (Freedom Forum) 

Awareness of the First Amendment is high and remains steady, according to a new report by the Freedom Forum, but people don’t always know what it means for them. “As issues around religion, free expression, the press and protest collide with emerging technologies and political polarization, the data suggests public confusion has grown,” the organization said.

>> MAGA’s war on public media targets an innovative statewide news collaboration in New Jersey (Media Nation)

The fate of an innovative statewide news collaboration in New Jersey is uncertain following cuts to public media funding, writes Dan Kennedy. “For news consumers, the effect could be considerable,” he says.

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Culture & Inclusion

>> A risk assessment of America right now (CJR)

Newsrooms need to carry out their own individual risk assessments and take other steps to contend with today’s increasingly dangerous environment for journalists, writes Joel Simon, the founding director of the Journalism Protection Initiative at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. He suggests five ways to confront these challenges.

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Community Engagement & Trust

>> New from API: Leveraging social platform features for deep-impact creator collaborations 

We’ve added a new chapter in our guide to influencer collaborations. This one, by news consultant Adriana Lacy, discusses how newsrooms can build community and trust by collaborating with popular creators on platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, among others.

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Revenue & Resilience

>> Three proven strategies to strengthen your newsroom’s fundraising (Local Media Association) 

Fundraising is a “constant learning process,” writes Nina Joss. She captures three strategies from news leaders who have experience doing it, and who shared their tactics and lessons at the LMA Fest 2025 in Chicago.

>> Dallas Morning News shareholders vote to deny the hedge fund Alden Global Capital (Nieman Lab)

The question of whether a newspaper is a financial asset or a community trust was at the center of the struggle over control of the Dallas Morning News. “This particular standoff ended with an increasingly uncommon answer,” writes Joshua Benton.

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What else you need to know

🤝 Baltimore Banner hires experienced newsroom executive Audrey Cooper as new editor-in-chief (Baltimore Banner)

✂️ PBS North Carolina lays off 32 employees (Current)

👀 Washington Post opinion writer says firing violated labor agreement (The New York Times)

📣 Over 100 ex-ABC journalists urge Disney’s Bob Iger to ‘defend free speech,’ blast Jimmy Kimmel suspension (New York Post)

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Weekend reads

+ AI-generated “workslop” is destroying productivity (Harvard Business Review)

+ Newsrooms can learn from Bill McKibben’s climate journalism (Rolling Stone)

+ Global lessons from a press in peril, by Martin Baron (The Seattle Times)

+ The Pentagon, the press and the fight to control national security coverage (The New York Times)