📰 1,000 US counties have less than one full time journalist

Plus: Nextdoor to partner with local outlets

Author

Paul Gewuerz
July 17, 2025

Your weekly briefing of stories from around the local news space about business, policy, trends, and more

Hello! Here’s what’s in this week’s issue:

» 1,000 US counties have less than one full time journalist

» INN offers grants to Texas newsrooms affected by floods

» Nextdoor to partner with local outlets

» An AI example out of New Jersey

» Local journalism leads with compassion

📰 1,000 US counties have less than one full time journalist

According to the Local Journalist Index 2025, a joint project from Rebuild Local News and Muck Rack, one in three US counties lack the equivalent of one full time local journalist. The issue isn’t isolated to rural areas, either, with fast growing suburbs and big cities getting less attention than ever. Read more from Nieman Lab

💧 INN offers grants to Texas newsrooms affected by floods

Texas newsrooms pummeled by recent flooding are now eligible for grants from the Institute for Nonprofit News to help cover disaster response and recovery efforts. The funding is aimed at strengthening local coverage in affected communities and supports journalism that keeps residents informed and safe. Read the eligibility criteria and apply here

🤝 Nextdoor to partner with local outlets

Neighborhood focused social media platform Nextdoor is rolling out a major redesign to try to revive engagement by integrating local journalism from over 3,500 outlets. The move marks a shift from user generated noise toward curated, trusted content. The app won’t host full stories but shows headlines and photos and links out to publishers' sites, and some hope that the new rollout could benefit both the tech company and local journalism.

🤖 An AI example out of New Jersey

This piece from The Fix looks at a great case study: how The Jersey Bee is using AI to streamline its reporting while staying connected to its community. The Bee uses tools that help reporters mine data for trends, generate drafts, and localize climate and housing stories without sacrificing local nuance.

🕊️ Local journalism leads with compassion

E&P’s Mike Blinder recently sat down with leaders from the Coeur d’Alene Press about how the publication immediately prioritized clear, compassionate coverage when two firefighters were ambushed and killed while responding to a brush fire. Their local first approach helped residents feel informed, united, and cared for in the aftermath.

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