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📉 Congress claws back $1.1 billion from public media

📉 Congress claws back $1.1 billion from public media

Plus: How smaller city newspapers became some of the nation’s most visited news sites

Paul Gewuerz
July 24, 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:

» Congress claws back $1.1 billion from public media

» How smaller city newspapers became some of the nation’s most visited news sites

» Court rules local radio ownership rules will not change

» How do people find local information?

» What went wrong at the Houston Landing?

📉 Congress claws back $1.1 billion from public media

Congress has approved the Rescissions Act of 2025, clawing back $1.1 billion from public media funding. Public broadcasters warn the cuts threaten rural emergency alerts, cultural programming, and the financial viability of over 1,500 local stations. Critics decry the move as a blow to US local journalism, while supporters argue it's a necessary measure to rein in government waste.

📈 How smaller city newspapers became some of the nation’s most visited news sites

Nieman Lab reveals that several smaller city newspapers now rank among the top 25 most visited local newspaper sites in the US. The piece credits their shared owner, Advance Local, whose strategic shift toward digital first distribution has dramatically expanded their reach.

🏛️ Court rules local radio ownership rules will not change

An appeals court has upheld the FCC’s decision to keep its existing local radio ownership rules unchanged, rejecting challenges that the caps are outdated. The court ruled that the FCC acted reasonably in retaining limits of up to eight stations per market to preserve diversity and localism in broadcasting.

🎧 How do people find local information?

The Reuters Institute’s “Digital News Report 2025” podcast out of the UK explores how people find information about local topics, examining whether they favor traditional local news outlets or rely on broader platforms, and how this varies by region and interest in news.

🚨 What went wrong at the Houston Landing?

This piece dives into why the Houston Landing failed and how others can learn from their mistakes. According to the article, the project was hampered by governance issues, fundraising missteps, leadership turnover, and unclear mission focus, turning its promising potential into a cautionary example of nonprofit news pitfalls.

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