Series

The event was joyous, eclectic and completely unlike what you might expect from a journalism organization. But according to the team that produced it, this is what local media can and should look like.

Although our foundation supports multiple newsrooms, it is easy to envision a single local newsroom that offers subscriptions or paid memberships executing a similar partnership with one or more local history groups.

Our acute understanding of readers’ affinity for their neighborhoods inspired our most successful promotional campaign, now an annual tradition that typically drives up to a quarter of our annual subscription revenue per year.

Local media’s deep-rooted connection to the identities of the communities it serves offers a unique advantage in capitalizing on this widespread interest in history.

Leaning into local identity and history can move our journalism from ‘we provide facts alone’ to ‘we provide facts and serve other important community functions.’

After breaking bread together a few times, “the media” grew a face and some humanity, and “the community” became more complex and interesting. Real relationships started to emerge.

Resident participants must have a way to inform and impact reporting practices — material proof of impact — not just offer story ideas.

The experience helped foster candid conversation without demonizing the media. With the commitment and intentionality of our community liaison, the local news advisory project also worked to amplify the voices of residents who are often afraid to speak up.

Ultimately, for the inaugural advisory committee, I believe the newsrooms benefited more than the community. I am hopeful that the media will access community members and information we shared as resources to cover stories that reflect the conversations from the advisory committee. 

What I didn’t know, but would quickly learn, is how uncomfortable and personal the discussions could get and, despite it all, how dedicated the committee was to making the process work.