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

» Publishers squeezed by AI & creators

» Local TV dropping affiliations

» Visual essay of local newsrooms

» AI & Participatory journalism

📰 Publishers squeezed by AI & creators

News publishers are bracing for a year where both AI and independent creators eat into traditional models, pushing newsrooms to focus more on original reporting, YouTube, and adaptable “liquid content” rather than static articles. Some industry leaders see rising challenges from AI driven discovery and creator audiences, prompting a shift toward human storytelling and creator style engagement to stay relevant.

📺 Local TV dropping affiliations

CJR reports that some local TV stations are increasingly dropping their national network affiliations to focus more on independent, locally focused programming and community service rather than relying on distant network content. This shift reflects broader financial and strategic pressures as stations seek more control and relevance in their markets.

📸 Visual essay of local newsrooms

Photographer Ann Hermes spent six years documenting the fading world of US local newsrooms, capturing candid moments that reveal both the humor and deep human resilience inside struggling community newsrooms. Her portraits show a journalism ecosystem in retreat, marked by empty desks and legacy laden spaces, while reminding viewers of the people and history still behind local reporting.

🌍 AI & Participatory journalism

The Knight First Amendment Institute says that the use of AI in local journalism “is more likely to yield civic benefits if it begins with the culture and needs of the community”. Programs that involve residents directly in gathering and shaping news, like the Documenters program in Chicago, show how AI can help strengthen representation, accountability, and usefulness in local media. Read more

Small Press, Big Ideas

A podcast about the business of local news

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | RSS

🗳️ Transparency, tip sheets, and digital democracy

First up this week on the podcast I spoke with Kristen Go, Editor in Chief of CalMatters.

Kristen told me about her story in local media as well as Digital Democracy, CalMatters’ ambitious transparency tool that aggregates California legislative data: bills, hearings, transcripts, lobbying money, and more, and makes it searchable and actionable.

Kristen spoke about the tool’s recent launch into a new market (Hawaii), and how they’re in the running for a multi-million dollar prize that would enable them to expand to other states with the same model.

Listen or watch: Apple | Spotify | YouTube

🏛️ Why statehouse journalism still matters

Next up on the show I sat down with Christina Lords, Editor in Chief at the Idaho Capital Sun. The Sun is a part of States Newsroom, with partners providing non-partisan coverage of state policy in all 50 states.

On the podcast we spoke about her story of discovering journalism through an early love of writing, why state and local government coverage matters more to the typical American than all of the national noise, and sustainability for nonprofit journalism.

I also took the opportunity to ask Christina, a fellow resident of the Mountain West, about the challenges of covering a region with vast distances and unique issues like wolf reintroduction.

Listen or watch: Apple | Spotify | YouTube

More Stories

⏩ High schoolers in a rural Wisconsin village have kept local news alive for generations

⏩ Highlighting the funniest moments, this startup aims to bring public meetings into the TikTok era

⏩ Can newsrooms think like retailers? Why journalism’s future might include a storefront

⏩ Journalism’s AI reckoning has arrived: Taking power back from Big Tech

⏩ More than 40 news sources remain in Pittsburgh’s fragmented media landscape

⏩ Journalism, media, and technology trends and predictions 2026

⏩ How news audiences feel about AI use by newsrooms: What a new LMA–Trusting News survey reveals

⏩ Make 2026 your best sales year yet: Seven smart strategies to grow ad revenue and close more deals

⏩ New daily newsletter meets reader needs with concise format