💰 Local journalism’s decline is bad for borrowers

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

» Local journalism’s decline is bad for borrowers

» New coalition unites state press associations

» Does transparency boost trust with readers?

» Keep calm and report on

» CherryRoad CEO gives a peek behind the curtains

» Google considered AI opt-out for publishers, rejected it

» Facebook engagement up for photo posts

💰 Local journalism’s decline is bad for borrowers

Here’s an interesting take: could the decline of local news over the past decades actually be bad for bank loan contracts in a newspaper closure’s “blast zone”? A new study claims that is the case. According to the report, in the absence of reporting that would reveal what a business might try to hide from a lender, banks become less trusting and more cautious, driving up the cost of capital. Read more here.

🤝 New coalition unites state press associations

America’s Newspapers recently announced the formation of its State Advocacy Coalition (ANSAC) to unite press associations and newspaper advocacy groups. ANSAC brings together 14 state press associations to advocate for local journalism at both state and national levels and coordinate efforts across state lines. E&P’s Mike Blinder recently hosted a panel discussion with coalition leaders, you can read more and watch here.

🤔 Does transparency boost trust with readers?

The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism takes a look at how news organizations are focusing on transparency to rebuild public trust. Initiatives like The Trust Project, which introduced "trust indicators" like author bios and corrections policies, have shown promise in increasing readers' perceptions of credibility, but there’s still a long way to go in the digital age.

🧘‍♂️ Keep calm and report on

This piece from Poynter takes a look at the charged emotional environments of newsrooms and how to put the brakes on in the event of a heated exchange. The story is inspired by a recent “epic blow-up” between employees at the New York Times that resulted in “an HR complaint about a ‘death threat’.”

👀 CherryRoad CEO gives a peek behind the curtains

CherryRoad Media CEO Jeremy Gulban recently sat down with the Local News Initiative to discuss his ambition to build a national network of community newspapers. CherryRoad has rapidly expanded to 94 mostly weekly print outlets since 2020, but has faced challenges with profitability, particularly in transitioning from print to digital in rural areas.

😒 Google considered AI opt-out for publishers, rejected it

Documents disclosed as a part of Google’s ongoing antitrust trial reveal that the tech giant originally considered allowing publishers to opt out of AI scraping while still appearing in search results but eventually axed it, describing it as a “hard red line”. Documents show that Google made the decision in part because it was “evolving into a space for monetisation”.

📷 Facebook engagement up for photo posts

Nieman Lab reports that the first months of 2025 have seen a surge of engagement on photo based posts for news publishers. This resurgence suggests that visual content is regaining importance on the platform, offering publishers a new opportunity to connect with audiences through images.

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Local Stories

⏩ The Austin Monitor joins forces with the Texas Tribune

⏩ Sonoma Media Investments, parent company of The Press Democrat, sold to one of America’s news giants

⏩ Talking local journalism with the University of Minnesota

⏩ Four-month notice for print media outlet sales advanced in California

⏩ LAist cuts staff by 5%, citing ongoing budget strain and potential federal funding loss

⏩ Why The Lansing Journal is becoming a nonprofit newsroom — and why it matters to you

⏩ Malheur County is on the brink of becoming a ‘news desert’ as local papers close, change hands

⏩ National Trust for Local News announces partnership with Times Media Group

⏩ Maine Monitor’s rural newsletters honored by Local Media Association