Commentary: America won’t save local journalism by ignoring newspapers

The conventional wisdom among many funders seems to be that the traditional newspaper model is no longer viable, so they are looking to support something different in the hope that a new model will provide the answer to sustainable journalism. Unfortunately, the past 20 years have shown that “new” does not necessarily mean “improved.”

No single replacement model has yet demonstrated a scalable, long-term solution for local journalism. Many newspapers, meanwhile, have continued evolving their business models, investing heavily in digital journalism while also relying on a mix of revenue streams that may include print and digital.

In recent years, a number of new nonprofit and digital news outlets have closed despite receiving substantial philanthropic support. One notable example is The Houston Landing, which quickly burned through its initial $20 million in seed funding but failed to build the audience and recurring revenue necessary for long-term sustainability. The organization produced excellent journalism, but strong journalism alone was not enough to support the business. There are many other examples, though most received far less funding and attention.

According to LION Publishers and the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), two newer trade associations serving the new breed of digital news organizations, each organization has roughly 500 members. LION also estimates there are approximately 1,600 independent local news organizations across the U.S. and Canada, including nonprofit and for-profit digital publishers, so this segment is seeing some growth. We applaud the efforts of these organizations, many of which are providing valuable journalism for their communities.

What we do not applaud is the lack of interest in supporting the local news organizations that still provide the overwhelming majority of local reporting in America.

Newspapers have spent decades adapting to changing technology, changing consumer habits and shifting business realities by investing in digital subscriptions, audience development, newsletters, video, podcasts, events, marketing services, philanthropy and other evolving business models. Innovation in local journalism did not begin with startups, and it is not happening only outside of newspapers.

Newspapers continue to employ thousands of journalists across the country, and millions of Americans still rely on them every day for local news and information. Their business model is unquestionably under pressure, but it has also proven more durable than many assume — because newspapers typically operate with diversified revenue streams and longstanding relationships within the communities they serve. Some funders are reluctant to support newspapers because many operate as for-profit businesses. Yet communities benefit from local reporting regardless of ownership structure. If the goal is preserving journalism rather than choosing winners and losers, support should follow impact.

To be clear, we support the emergence of new local news organizations and genuinely hope they succeed. Strong local journalism, regardless of platform or ownership structure, benefits communities and democracy. But we also need to recognize reality: most of the original local reporting in this country is still being produced by newspapers. If foundations, civic leaders and philanthropists truly care about preserving local news, they cannot focus exclusively on building new organizations while ignoring the institutions that are doing most of the work. If you want to save local journalism in America, start by supporting your local newspaper.

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Dean Ridings, president and CEO of America’s Newspapers, and 29 other newspaper publishers, owners, and founders around the country signed this editorial.