With equal parts innovation, humility and grit, Chris Reen has spent nearly four decades redefining what it means to be a modern news publisher. Now president and CEO of Clarity Media Group — and the driving force behind titles like The Denver Gazette and Colorado Politics — Reen is E&P’s 2025 Publisher of the Year. From launching bold digital ventures during a pandemic to expanding investigative journalism across Colorado, Reen’s leadership proves local media can grow — and matter — even in the most disruptive times. more

E&P’s Editor-in-Chief Robin Blinder reflects on the power of recognition in an industry too often focused on what’s broken. In her latest editorial, she shines a spotlight on this year’s Publisher of the Year, Chris Reen — a leader whose impact goes far beyond the newsroom. It’s a stirring reminder of why E&P continues to elevate the individuals who keep local journalism alive. If you believe in celebrating what’s right in media, this one’s for you. more

The height of Fall on Arrowhead Lake in Britt, Minnesota. —Pamela K. Abrahamson, Newspaper Operations Coordinator, Cook News-Herald, Cook, Minnesota (CherryRoad Media) more

In a world overwhelmed by AI-generated imagery and shrinking newsroom budgets, the value of authentic photojournalism has never been more at risk — or more essential. The National Press Photographers Association is sounding the alarm: visuals aren’t just decoration, they’re the backbone of truth, trust, and emotional connection in journalism. In this exclusive interview, NPPA Vice President Lauren Steinbrecher and Grady College’s Mark E. Johnson break down why local publishers, students, and reporters must fight for the future of visual storytelling. Because if we lose the image, we may just lose the story itself. more

AI is everywhere right now — pitched as the magic ingredient that can do everything from writing your stories to analyzing massive databases, all while you sip your coffee. But E&P columnist Rob Tornoe cuts through the hype, warning that AI isn’t intelligence at all — it’s a parrot repeating patterns from data it may or may not have legally consumed. In his latest “News Media Today” column, Tornoe explores why journalists face a Wild West of untested tools, lawsuits and ethical landmines — and why the industry desperately needs a “Consumer Reports for AI” before trust gets lost in the noise. more

Public media veteran Tom Davidson says the most urgent skill NPR, PBS and local stations must master right now isn’t lobbying or on-air pledge — it’s raising money on digital platforms. In his latest “Public Pulse” column, Davidson warns that aging linear audiences and shrinking pledge drives demand a pivot to proven digital tactics: paid social lead-gen, email capture, audience-first journeys and CRM overhauls. He points to stations like WBUR and KPBS — and nonprofit peers such as VTDigger and The Baltimore Banner — as proof the model works, urging CEOs to budget real dollars for digital or risk getting lapped by newer entrants. His message is simple: if tiny startups can fundraise online at scale, legacy public media has no excuse. more

In the race to build sustainable news businesses, the most successful publishers aren’t chasing clicks—they’re building relationships. That’s the key insight from Daniel Williams, founder and CEO of BlueLena, who shared new findings from more than 220 independent news sites and 6 million reader interactions. From reader motivations to revenue strategies, Williams pulled back the curtain on what’s actually working in local media heading into 2026. “We’re not guessing anymore,” he said. “We’ve got the data, and it’s changing the game.” more

While Facebook and X have been retreating from news, Nextdoor is moving in the opposite direction. The neighborhood-based platform has rolled out a redesign, brought back its original branding, and is leaning hard into local journalism — offering publishers free distribution, engagement analytics and a direct line to the communities they cover. With more than 3,500 verified local publishers already on board, Nextdoor is positioning itself as a surprising new ally at a time when local news desperately needs one. more

The internet once promised publishers limitless reach — then siphoned away their revenue. Now, generative AI threatens to deliver answers without clicks, leaving journalism with vanishing audiences and empty ad slots. Court battles may drag on for years, but a new crop of AI marketplaces is moving fast to fill the gap, offering publishers something they haven’t had since Google and Facebook ate their lunch: a way to get paid for their content. TollBit, ProRata, Cloudflare and Perplexity each claim they’ve cracked the code. The question is whether these models represent a lifeline — or just another false dawn. more

Local news is collapsing at an alarming pace — more than 3,500 newspapers have vanished since 2005, with 130 disappearing just last year. In this episode, we interview Tim Franklin and Zach Metzger of Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, the researchers behind the 2025 State of Local News report, which paints a dire picture of vanishing watchdogs, expanding news deserts, and a shrinking connection between journalism and the communities it serves. Yet amid the bleak data are signs of reinvention, from public radio stations stepping up to statewide networks and philanthropic partnerships gaining traction outside major metros. This isn’t just a crisis — it’s a make-or-break moment for rebuilding local journalism from the ground up. more

Frank Ahrens has seen disruption before. As a Washington Post reporter in the 2000s, he chronicled the collapse of the newspaper industry — the buyouts, the shrinking newsrooms, the lost business model. Now, in his Shoptalk column, Ahrens warns that artificial intelligence is driving an even bigger upheaval, one that will touch nearly every profession. AI, he argues, won’t replace humans outright, but it will redefine work — forcing employees to adapt, rethink their value and embrace judgment as the one skill machines cannot replicate. more

The media watchdog Free Press just rolled out a cheeky — but pointed — scorecard that ranks America’s biggest media companies on a five–chicken-head scale of “capitulation” to Donald Trump. Based on a six-month review of 35 major owners, the Media Capitulation Index flags everything from lawsuit payoffs and DEI rollbacks to editorial interference and Mar-a-Lago favor-currying — putting Trump Media and Elon Musk’s X at the five-chicken “propaganda” end, while Bloomberg and Netflix earn rare “independent” stars. “We wanted an instant visual that made people stop and think,” says Free Press strategist Timothy Karr, who led the research. The group plans annual updates — and hopes a little public shaming nudges powerful outlets back toward the public interest. more

In his latest “Tasaka’s Tech Talk,” Guy Tasaka draws a stark comparison between farmers who clung to horses in the early 20th century and publishers who hesitate to embrace AI today. Just as tractors multiplied productivity and transformed agriculture, AI is rapidly becoming the engine that will separate thriving media companies from those stuck in the past. Tasaka argues that the choice is clear: embrace the tools that expand capacity, speed and efficiency — or risk being outpaced by competitors who already have. more

In a time when newsroom budgets are shrinking and communities risk going uncovered, the State University of New York is charting a different course. Through its new Institute for Local News, SUNY has linked 20 campuses with nearby publications, creating a pipeline where students earn bylines in professional outlets while papers gain much-needed reporting capacity. Spotlight News, one of the early partners, has already won an international award for its collaboration with University at Albany students. For SUNY leaders, the goal is clear: build more “on-ramps” to the journalism highway — and give local newsrooms the lifeline they desperately need. more

When Jeff Sleete compares sales to eyesight, the lesson is clear: vision matters. Just as 20/20 eyesight ensures sharp focus, successful advertising requires clarity, repetition and attention from start to finish. Too many sellers, he warns, lose sight after closing a deal — letting clients run with bland “Crap-Master” ads that fail to stand out. But the best campaigns grab attention in the first three seconds, repeat with urgency and stay laser-focused on results. more

With newsroom jobs shrinking and freelance rates collapsing, more journalists are turning to AI gig platforms like Outlier to make ends meet. The work ranges from editing grammar to testing models for harmful outputs — sometimes at rates as low as $10 an hour after unpaid training. Advocates warn that while the gigs offer short-term relief, they also carry hidden costs: burnout, poor pay and ethical dilemmas about helping build the very systems disrupting journalism. more

Journalist & best‑selling author Beth Macy returns to the town she once delivered newspapers in to ask: what happens when the civic fabric fractures and no one is left to tell the story? In her new memoir Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in a Fractured America, Macy digs into her hometown of Urbana, Ohio — exploring how the collapse of local news, growing economic despair and social isolation reshaped a community she loved. Along the way, she argues that if journalism disappears from small‑town America, the consequences are national. Her message is clear: local reporting isn’t just “nice to have,” it’s the glue that holds democracy together. more

SaaS companies didn’t earn their dominance through flashy products or Silicon Valley hype alone. Their real advantage lies in the discipline of their revenue model — predictable growth, measurable metrics and customer relationships designed to expand over time. While local media often survives on one-off ad buys and constant churn, SaaS businesses have engineered a framework built for durability. For media companies facing unstable revenue streams, the lesson is clear: adopt SaaS-style discipline or risk being left behind. more

If you think your newsroom isn’t using AI, think again. A Reuters survey found that 80% of journalists already lean on AI tools in their daily work, yet only 13% said their organizations have any policy in place. That disconnect, Reuters warns, is a recipe for risk — from cybersecurity breaches to eroded trust. To close the gap, the Foundation has published a practical three-step guide urging editors to identify what AI tools their journalists are using, map the risks and set clear rules before the technology races ahead of them. more