Mike Luckovich hasn’t felt the need to pull any punches during his three decades of drawing political cartoons for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. But the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist admits even he’s a bit apprehensive as Donald Trump reoccupies the White House. He spoke with Editor & Publisher about his approach to drawing Trump, the difficulty finding an online audience for local cartoons and the current state of the profession.

Nonprofit newsrooms are not the only ones securing philanthropic dollars. A 2023 report from Media Impact Funders and NORC at the University of Chicago found that two-thirds of for-profit newsrooms received some form of donor support, including direct grants, training programs or access to services.

The courts and the FCC have noted that “public interest” implies a balance of all relevant factors that the agency should consider. However, the FCC and the courts have failed to build a body of precedent to imbue the public interest standard with a concrete, durable meaning. This decades-long lack of clarity calls for more focused legislative attention to what decisional guidance should be delegated to the FCC.

The increasing intensity of wildfires, hurricanes, tornados and other natural disasters and emergencies that can occur any time and anywhere has only made reporting the news more perilous. Kate Maxwell, founder and former publisher of The Mendocino (California) Voice, experienced this firsthand when covering the deadliest fire in Mendocino County history in 2017 and very severe winter storms and droughts. This motivated her to develop and launch the Local News Go Bag Toolkit project.

The Center for Journalism Liberty, a division of the Open Markets Institute, is defending journalism’s role in the U.S. democracy by closely watching how Big Tech is breaching antitrust principles and creating an unfair atmosphere for news publishers. The Center is picking through the thorny issues while also recommending policy.

The 29th Annual EPPY Awards, announced on November 17, 2024, celebrated the pinnacle of digital media innovation and excellence. With over 500 entries from around the globe, this year’s competition showcased the best in local journalism, cutting-edge website design, and impactful storytelling across more than 40 categories. From The Boston Globe to The Outlaw Ocean Project, and Consumer Reports to emerging college journalists, these winners exemplify the talent and creativity redefining modern media. Here’s a closer look at some of the standout winners and their remarkable achievements.

Any organization or business able to maintain and expand its mission, serve its members or clients successfully and create a dominant leadership position for 139 years is to be treasured. In the newspaper industry, that treasure is the National Newspaper Association (NNA) and its companion organization, the National Newspaper Association Foundation (NNAF).

The era of paperboys and adult carriers has ended for most newspapers as current subscribers are spread throughout the coverage area, including many in surrounding counties. Often, a small, local newspaper is the only publication in a multi-county portion of its state. Consequently, more rely on the United States Postal Service (USPS) to deliver their physical newspapers.

In recent years, the Chicago Sun-Times has fully embraced community-focused journalism under the leadership of Jennifer Kho, who was appointed executive editor in 2022. The first woman and person of color to lead the newsroom, Kho has driven a transformation rooted in listening and collaboration.

The Atlanta Voice has been a steadfast pillar in the Black press since its founding in 1966, born out of the Civil Rights Movement to give voice to a community often ignored by mainstream media. Today, under the leadership of Publisher Janis Ware and Editor-in-Chief Donnell Suggs, the historic publication continues to evolve, combining its storied legacy with modern multimedia initiatives, while maintaining its mission: “A People Without A Voice Cannot Be Heard.”

The United States may have made measurable progress in reducing pollution since the 1970s. However, pollution and toxins remain an environmental bane, and industrial contamination continues to spoil soil, water and air around the country, creating public health crises in communities nationwide. Pollutants and chemical contaminants present health and safety hazards at every turn, making reporting on them all the more critical.

When it became clear that Hurricane Helene was heading our way, the staff of the Courier Herald in Dublin, Georgia, dived into planning for an unprecedented event. No storm this powerful had rolled through this region in my memory. Our top priority was preparing our readers for what was coming and helping them navigate safely through it.

Howard University’s Cathy Hughes School of Communications Department of Media, Journalism and Film has a long name, but so is its list of programs, centers, opportunities and accomplishments. Ingrid Sturgis, the department chair, says: “We pride ourselves on having a full, robust journalism program. We’re doubling down on investigative journalism now, but we’ve had investigative journalism courses going back almost 10 years.”

Remember when we said FAST channels would disrupt local TV? The same revolution is happening in audio, and publishers can’t afford to ignore it. With 83% of adults tuning into AM/FM radio (Nielsen) but over half of spoken-word listening now on digital devices (NPR), local media can leverage this shift to disrupt audio markets using their brand strength, audience trust, and advertiser relationships—no FCC license required.

This summer, an elite group of student journalists fanned out across the country to investigate the state of American democracy as part of the prestigious Carnegie-Knight News21 fellowship. Through immersive, on-the-ground reporting, these rising stars uncovered critical issues, from voting rights in Alabama to threats against election officials nationwide. Armed with deep research and mentorship from experts, they crafted stories, documentaries, and interactive projects to illuminate challenges and showcase those working across political divides—all while redefining what it means to report on a fractured democracy.

Pete Rose wasn’t born with exceptional talents. He was not fast. He wasn’t graceful like DiMaggio or Ken Griffy. He didn’t have a strong arm like Roberto Clemente (or Al Kaline). What he did have was a consistent effort to give his all and get the maximum out of the abilities he possessed. That is the key to being an All-Star Seller — consistency of effort. A thirst to win! You have to hustle!

A new website with a quirky name is tapping into the inertia of sidebar sports content. Launched Sept. 8, Offball.news curates crossover sports and pop culture content. The site acts as a destination for content where fashion and celebrity status share the court with sports.

The resilience of democracy lies in its ability to balance change with unwavering principles. As the U.S. enters a new chapter under a second Trump administration, the foundational freedoms of free speech, free press, and dissent face renewed challenges. While these freedoms have weathered past attempts at suppression, the stakes remain high as the press braces for potential restrictions and shifting public attitudes toward journalism. The question now is whether the enduring power of the First Amendment will once again protect democracy from being stretched to its breaking point.

The 51st has set out to redefine local journalism in Washington, D.C., as one of the country’s growing number of worker-led, nonprofit newsrooms. Launched by a team of former DCist and WAMU journalists after the abrupt closure of their hyper-local site in January, the team said it will focus on stories that matter to D.C. residents.

X, a platform once beloved by journalists, has become borderline unusable for a group that had been among its most devoted addicts. Since no one platform seems ready to replace X for journalists, E&P columnist Rob Tornoe offers a handful of suggestions that might improve your experience.

Post-election periods often highlight a critical challenge for news organizations: sustaining the heightened audience engagement that elections bring. As political seasons end, many outlets grapple with churn and diminished interaction. This dilemma sparks a deeper question—how can news publishers foster the kind of enduring loyalty seen among social media influencers while staying true to their journalistic mission? By exploring strategies like emotionally resonant storytelling, community-driven dialogue, and resource-focused content, news organizations have an opportunity to redefine audience engagement, ensuring long-term relevance and growth in a competitive media landscape.

The 26th Annual EPPY Awards celebrated the best in digital journalism, recognizing excellence and innovation across more than 45 categories. With over 200 entries submitted by news publishers, broadcasters, digital platforms, and academic institutions worldwide, the competition highlighted the creative and impactful work shaping today’s media landscape. From cutting-edge investigative reporting to bold website redesigns, the EPPYs continue to honor those who push the boundaries of what’s possible in journalism.

The 2024 Operations All-Stars were celebrated on Sept. 26 at the International Newspaper Group (ING) conference in Indianapolis, where top professionals in the newspaper operations sector were recognized for their critical contributions to their publications. The annual salute, organized by Editor & Publisher in partnership with ING, honors excellence in the vital work of getting the paper out — printing, prepress, warehouse and transportation/delivery.

Though technological innovation moves at lightning speed, Artificial Intelligence (AI) remains in a fledgling phase. News organizations are understandably grappling with what AI means to both operations and long-term sustainability. Nicholas Diakopoulos, Ph.D., is dedicated to discovering those answers. He’s a communication studies and computer science professor at Northwestern University and the director of the Computational Journalism Lab (CJL). E&P asked Dr. Diakopoulos about his work in AI, automation and algorithms for news production, and some of the most often-asked AI questions we hear from readers.

Style wizards at the Associated Press fulfilled Benjamin Netanyahu’s goal for Israel — they made Hamas disappear. Showing again that the pen is mightier than the sword, the AP inexplicably deleted the Hamas entry from its Stylebook’s 57th print edition. Fear not; its Hezbollah entry was retained. So goes the long tradition of driving copy editors crazy.

For more than four decades, the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) has been a driving force for diversity, representation, and integrity in American journalism. Under the leadership of Nicole Dungca, an investigative reporter at The Washington Post and AAJA Board President, the organization continues to empower Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) journalists through advocacy, training, and leadership programs.

LION Publishers' annual Independent News Sustainability Summit was brimming with sessions and hallway discussions about the same challenges we face in public media. How do we grow our audiences? What forms and formats of information best serve our communities? And, above all: How in the heck are we going to pay for all of this?

AI is a moving target. It’s overwhelming. It’s moving faster than any technology we’ve ever had in the modern era. Many people don’t even know what they don’t know, but more importantly, they don’t know where to start. Here are five things publishers need to do TODAY!