The news desert problem continues to worsen with little relief in sight A new Medill study estimates that an eye-popping 7,000 newspaper jobs — about a third of them in newsrooms — were lost in 2023 October 23, 2024 Rick Edmonds
The Chicago Tribune didn’t replace its retiring architecture critic. So he funded his own successor. Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Blair Kamin is paying for the Tribune’s next architecture writer out of his own pocket. Why would he do such a thing? October 22, 2024 Mark Caro
Can local journalism find a cure for election news fatigue? Almost half of US adults surveyed in May already felt tired of receiving and processing news about the election, a Medill survey found August 6, 2024 Mark Caro
The Marion County Record drew national support following a police raid, but the weekly still needs help After the raid, the Kansas paper faced lawsuits, saw boosted circulation and dealt with fallout from the death of the publisher's 98-year-old mother June 18, 2024 Mark Caro
How the Chicago area gets its news An in-depth Medill study identified numerous profound challenges to news organizations as the industry struggles to adapt to the digital age May 28, 2024 Stephanie Edgerly
AI is disrupting the local news industry. Will it unlock growth or be an existential threat? A new report from Medill seeks to identify the potential perils and benefits of generative AI on local news business models and journalism itself May 8, 2024 Mark Caro
Proposed Illinois bills are ‘the most ambitious package of local journalism policy’ Illinois news outlets would get compensation from Big Tech companies and benefit from state tax incentives and a new journalism scholarship program February 20, 2024 Mark Caro
What works in community news? ‘There is no one answer’ Veteran journalists Ellen Clegg and Dan Kennedy spotlight local news outlets that chart a path forward January 30, 2024 Mark Caro
US lost more than two local newspapers a week this year, new Medill report finds Over half of counties in the US now have just one or no local news outlets November 16, 2023 Angela Fu
What do we lose when newsrooms close? Journalists mourn the loss of newsrooms, but the more pressing question is whether and how their closures are affecting journalism itself. October 11, 2023 Mark Caro
‘Generative AI doesn’t require us to reimagine journalism, but it gives us a really good excuse’ Jeremy Gilbert, the Knight Chair for Digital Media Strategy at Northwestern, shares his thoughts on the future of AI in journalism in a Q&A September 22, 2023 Mark Caro
Why one local newsroom startup in Chicago succeeded where others failed Block Club Chicago reached its 5th anniversary this week by doubling down on the power of neighborhood reporting June 13, 2023 Mark Caro
Less than a third of Americans believe local news holds public officials accountable, poll finds The finding indicates widespread dissatisfaction with local journalism fulfilling one of its primary missions. June 6, 2023 Mark Caro
Are news sites focused on the wrong metrics? Why pageviews and time spent on site may be misleading. When it comes to reader retention, data shows reader habits, not pageviews or time spent, may be key. May 5, 2023 Mark Caro
Why Ralph Nader is launching a print newspaper Beginning with his hometown in northwest Connecticut, the 88-year-old consumer advocate is determined to do something about the news desert crisis. January 31, 2023 Greg Burns
