Along with this growth in local outlets, INN sees a larger share of newsrooms covering current news and events and a smaller share focused exclusively on investigative reporting. The full report will be released this fall. Read the highlights now:

According to 🆕 data released from INN’s eighth annual Index survey, the percentage of local news outlets rose to 51% in 2024 from 48% in 2023. 🔗

"Journalism without an audience is just creative writing. And it’s unsustainable,” writes INN's Chief Network Officer @jkealing in this week's INNsights post. Journalism needs to both reach and serve audiences at scale. Read his call to action:

“How can I get more people access to the information that we produce?” @cvilletomorrow's product lead, Ashley Harper, talked to INN about her role at the intersection of journalism, technology and audience needs.

INN Network newsrooms have been key sources of information about the local impact of funding cuts made in D.C.—like the reporting from @wyofile on a century-old fish hatchery in Wyoming that was on the verge of losing its entire staff. Read more:

Read more on the new era for nonprofit news discovery:

👥 With the social media space fragmenting, INN has moved aggressively by negotiating early access and preferred status for members on rising platforms (like Nextdoor) that offer opportunities for forging meaningful connections with audiences.

🔁 Nearly 85% of INN members allow others to republish their stories for free, but it’s hard to measure views on syndicator’s sites, and outlets sometimes don't give credit. INN has negotiated with syndicators for terms that protect members on search & distribution channels.

🤳 Today, 40% of referral traffic comes from Google, the same proportion that Facebook once provided. With INN's help, members have increased resources and training on how to draw visitors by using insights from Google Search Console and implementing SEO tactics.

Social media has deeply informed the type and scale of news organizations built over the last two decades, but that system has collapsed for news content, wrote INN's @samcholke. INN has been tracking trends and supporting members as they face these challenges (🧵):.

INN’s 475+ members produce nearly 26,000 stories every month, but key infrastructure is required to build a truly new kind of news network. That's why INN built On The Ground, an AI-powered product that aggregates stories and promotes republication.

@vtdigger NewsMatch is building momentum for a stronger future in journalism. Learn more:.

At @vtdigger, Director of Membership Libbie Sparadeo put it this way:. “NewsMatch helped us grow when we were small. And now, as we scale, it’s still helping us meet the moment.”

From individual donors to local matches, the campaign reflected the growing support for trustworthy, local reporting. Even better: 75,000 people gave for the very first time.

What does community-powered journalism look like?. In 2024, 381 nonprofit newsrooms across the country raised $62 million through NewsMatch. 💥. 🔗:

About two-thirds of INN members participated in the dedicated @GoogleNewsInit Fundamentals Lab for INN members from late 2023 through 2024. Here's what newsrooms learned – and how they spent their $20,000 implementation grant:

Lauren DeLaunay Miller, a reporter for @calhealthreport, told INN that her experience on the Yosemite National Park Search & Rescue team gave her “a lot of practice talking to people… in a very vulnerable position.”. Read more:.

Building a rural news audience is challenging. That’s why Shasta Scout explored direct mail as a way to build connections. A new case study, supported by INN and Indiegraf, compares direct mail and Facebook ads as ways to reach those rural audiences:

News organizations based in Kentucky and the counties declared a State of Emergency in West Virginia can apply for $10,000 in unrestricted funds to support their work covering the floods. Funding is supported by @GoogleNewsInit. Apply by March 7:

“The challenge in this moment is to not let fear overwhelm you,” said @JoelSimonSays, director of the Journalism Protection Initiative at @NewmarkJPlus. He recommended that news organizations conduct a risk assessment, which can "help you focus the mind.".