Local news is disappearing, and it’s not just empty newsrooms. It means fewer voters splitting tickets, less civic engagement, and weaker accountability for elected officials. Read more at @CJR:

"Eighty-three percent of the country doesn’t have a single media subscription. Readership assistance programs can help them.". via @CJR .

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RT @CJR: What Will the Next Era of Public Media Look Like? by Steven Waldman.

RT @stevenwaldman: What Will the Next Era of Public Media Look Like?.After the demise of CPB, the industry has an opportunity to build more….

Public media was built to provide what the market wouldn’t. Today’s biggest failure is the collapse of local news. To fix it, our founder @stevenwaldman says we need to reimagine publicly financed media to build a stronger local news system. Read more:

The funders include the @knightfdn, the @FordFoundation, the @macfound, the Schmidt Family Foundation, @pivotalventures and the @RWJF.

A group of funders has committed nearly $27M, aiming for $50M this year, to the Public Media Bridge Fund to keep at-risk rural TV and radio stations alive. Many of which are the only local news in their communities. Read more at @nytimes:

Weekend Read: New research finds that when voters have greater access to local news, they are less influenced by party loyalty in judging election integrity and more influenced by how elections are actually run. Read more:

The Illinois journalism employment credits are a "critical boost," already making a difference. The Hinsdalean will get $45K in credits, nearly a month’s revenue, and will put some funds toward overdue hardware and software, helping sustain its newsroom.

Google’s ad tech monopoly has stripped local newsrooms of vital ad revenue, forcing scaled-back coverage or closures. The result: communities lose watchdog reporting, government coverage, and civic engagement. The DOJ must impose stronger remedies.

Illinois is investing $4 million through journalist employment tax credits to 120 news outlets, supporting the retention and hiring of journalists. This new policy, crafted with help from Rebuild Local News, will work to strengthen coverage statewide.

RT @stevenwaldman: This is the "tax credit for employing journalists" that we've been pushing for. Exciting to see it kick in -- with benef….

"Journalism done well is uniquely capable of discussing local affairs with the depth and nuance they demand. By working with local news instead of against it, local leaders can empower a vital institution with the legitimacy it desperately needs.".

College professors can help plug local news gaps by launching state‑based media newsletters. A handful of higher‑ed pros are already tracking and analyzing their media landscapes. Learn more about these efforts via @NiemanLab:

ICYMI: Our recently published Local Journalist Index with @muckrack tracks the number of local journalists across the country. Now, Rebuild Local News President @stevenwaldman asks: how many local journalists does a community need to be truly informed?.

RT @macfound: The U.S. has lost three quarters of its local journalists, and more than 1,000 counties have no one covering local news. @Re….

RT @muckrack: Thanks to @Axios for spotlighting our Local Journalist Index in today’s coverage of the growing gaps in local news. In his a….

Since 2002, local reporting capacity has dropped about 75%, from about 40 journalists to just 8.2 Local Journalist Equivalents per 100K residents. The Local Journalist Index shows where journalist capacity stands, down to the county level. Learn more:

Big news: A $1.25M Press Forward grant will help launch low-interest loans to BIPOC-led news outlets via the Media Resilience Fund, run by @NCRC and @url_media. We’re proud to have played a small role helping spark this effort. Learn more:

RT @mitrakalita: Thrilled to announce @url_media is among grant recipients in @pressforward's latest open call for infrastructure support.….