Part of this piece originally appeared in Local Edition, our newsletter following the digital transformation of local news. Want to be part of the conversation? You can subscribe here.
If you’re in the mood to spread some love to local news this week, here are a few easy ways to do so.
Subscribe to newsletters that follow the industry
Here’s a list to get you started:
- Local Fix from Democracy Fund takes on big topics and pulls together resources each week. It’s from Josh Stearns, Teresa Gorman, Christine Schmidt and Dani Rosales.
- Solution Set from Lenfest Institute takes a deep dive each issue into an actual local news solution, with both short and in-depth ways to follow. It’s from Joseph Lichterman.
- Lion Publishers’ weekly newsletter shares resources, deadlines and news each week.
- Local Matters, which is distributed by IRE, highlights local investigative journalism. It was created by (Charleston, South Carolina) Post & Courier reporter Joey Cranney, Politico Florida reporter Alexandra Glorioso and USA Today reporter Brett Murphy.
- Try This – Tools for Journalism, from my Poynter colleague Ren LaForme, doesn’t cover local news but has great tips, tools and trends to follow.
- The Cohort, edited by my colleague Mel Grau, features women in digital media, often in local.
- Journalism Jobs and a photo of my dog from journalist Mandy Hofmockel, is just what the name promises. Also Maggie, the dog, is very cute.
- The Lead highlights college media news and always features great local work, from former Poynter fellow and current Seattle Times journalist Taylor Blatchford.
What else should be on this list?
Become a member/subscriber/donor
You know you’ve been meaning to. You don’t have to wait for the best subscription deal or fundraising drive. Or just send your favorite newsroom pizza. Or a note. You can also support the many organizations that are supporting local news.
Email that reporter or photographer whose work you admire
I have a file in my email where I try to save these. They make tough days less tough.
Attend an event
That’s right, say hi! Some events have admission fees, some are free.
Spread the word
I’m really proud to be a subscriber to the Tampa Bay Times and a member of WUSF, my local public radio station. I’m not doing it for charity, though. The work of both newsrooms is stellar. I try to share it on Facebook and Instagram to let friends and neighbors know that paying for great news that directly impacts our lives is worth it.
Correction: An earlier version of this headline was incorrect, there are four ways to support local journalism in this piece, not five. We regret the error and are giving up for the day.
Kristen Hare covers the transformation of local news for Poynter.org and writes a weekly newsletter on the transformation of local news. Want to be part of the conversation? You can subscribe here. Kristen can be reached at khare@poynter.org or on Twitter at @kristenhare.
