The Society of Environmental Journalists provides multiple support channels for those trying to tell the story of the changing climate. Current Executive Director Aparna Mukherjee says: “SEJ is here to make sure that we are putting resources into the hands of individual journalists and supporting the news outlets that are trying to do more with less.”

You may know him by his social handle, @FOIANate. FOIA — the Freedom of Information Act — is Nate Jones’ business. Jones is the FOIA director at The Washington Post and ideally suited to the role. He’s a historian, journalist and lawyer — all disciplines that inform his work.

An ambitious research project by The Pivot Fund is focused on the Great Lake states. The project aims to better understand the news landscape in the region and help identify news and information sources that have specifically earned the trust of communities of color. Pivot began its Midwest survey in Minnesota in early 2024, and it should be completed this month. The project also includes news ecosystem studies in Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois.

Scripps News has launched the disinformation desk, which is focused on exposing disinformation and how it spreads — not just in politics but also in news. Liz Landers, former chief political correspondent for Vice News, is the network's lead disinformation correspondent and spoke to Editor & Publisher about the role and the team’s mission.

If we were to tell you that more people have VR headsets in the U.S. than those who subscribe to a newspaper — print and digital subscriptions combined — would you consider it a viable new frontier? The reality is extended reality (XR) — the catch-all term encompassing virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality — has slowly grown under the radar. 

Whether local media was asleep at the wheel, too small to compete with the digital giants or thought their kingdoms were unassailable, the share of obtainable local ad dollars available continues to dwindle. Nonetheless, there are some strategies we can initiate today, to regain some of that revenue.

It’s tricky business trying to cover an election fairly when many on one side of the political divide seem ready to tear down all the rules to obtain power. It’s also important to remember that most of our country’s press is made up of smaller newsrooms that cover their communities but rely on wire services like The Associated Press for the bulk of their coverage of the presidential race and national politics in general. So, how is the AP approaching its coverage of democracy and the threat Trump and his supporters pose?

The DEI movement continues to face many challenges, including deep-seated fears, prejudices and unwarranted barriers. The LGBTQ+ community has experienced significant progress but remains diligent and proactive. Increasing positive coverage in news and media and more LGBTQ+ journalists in many newsrooms have been central to that effort.

Although newspapers retain their traditional preeminence as the primary source of public notices, the same transition of news content to the web is now affecting public notices. While some like to snicker at members of the U.S. Congress and state legislators for their lack of understanding of the digital world, many state legislatures have or are addressing this transition with new/updated laws allowing news outlets and governments to publish public notices on their websites.

The Guardian knows that the secret sauce to building revenue and trust is tied to the amount of time readers spend on stories, and it's using that data to identify a list of stories other readers have found worth reading past the first few paragraphs. As a result, the news organization has added a “Deeply read” headline list to its website, a sibling to its “Most viewed” list.

The landscape of local television is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by technological advancements and changing viewer behaviors. As cable and satellite subscriptions continue to decline, local news stations face consolidation, network affiliate programming transforms, and new opportunities emerge for innovative content delivery. These trends not only challenge traditional broadcasting models but also open up avenues for news publishers to reimagine their roles in serving local communities. E&P's Guy Tasaka explores four key predictions that outline the future of local TV and strategies for thriving amidst this disruption.

This year, ProPublica added another Pulitzer Prize — its seventh — to its impressive and long list of journalism awards. A model for nonprofit accountability journalism, ProPublica is approaching its 20th anniversary in 2027. Its model has been so successful that it has enabled the organization to create a generous rather than isolated and proprietary culture.

Hyperlocal digital news communities are gaining popularity, particularly among legacy radio and TV companies, as a way to provide reliable sources of information to communities, especially those in news deserts. Townsquare Media and Saga Communications are among the companies that have launched hyperlocal news sites in small markets, focusing on practical community news, public safety reports, and upcoming events. These sites provide opportunities for advertising, programmatic programs, and sponsored content, and have been met with overwhelmingly positive community reactions.

Hardly a week has passed this year without a layoff announcement from one public broadcaster or another: 20 positions eliminated last September at WNYC, 16 in February at WAMU, 34 in April at WNET, eight at KUOW in May — plus a round of buyouts (potentially followed by layoffs) at KQED and LAist. Nearly 150 jobs have been lost at local stations since last fall, and that's on top of the 100 positions NPR eliminated in the spring of 2023.

Kelsey Russell engages more than 89,300 fans on TikTok, where she evangelizes print newspapers and media literacy. She summarizes news articles for her audience, adding her (often humorous) take on the topic. She traces her affinity for news back to her childhood in Atlanta. At home, the news was part of daily life.     

E&P got an early preview of the study Alicia Bell launched as part of her work as the director of the Racial Equity in Journalism (REJ) Fund at Borealis Philanthropy. Titled “Repair, Reimagine, and Rebuild: Modeling the Future of News For and By Black, Brown, and Indigenous Communities,” the report proposes it will take somewhere between $380 million to $7.1 billion annually to truly fund BIPOC journalism across the U.S.

In the last three years, we have announced our “15 Over 50” salute. However, again this year, the nominees have been so deserving that we expanded the group to include more in our salute — while retaining the “15 Over 50” moniker. The 22 news media professionals you’ll meet here are hopeful about the future and proud to be part of guiding the next generation forward. We know their passion for this industry will shine through their profiles.  

In the fast-paced world of news media sales, traditional tactics can feel like a tired script. However, what if there’s a more powerful approach? E&P columnist Richard E. Brown delves into a topic that's been on his mind lately: his approach to selling sponsorships in the news media industry — an approach that frames the news organization as the “hero” in a hero's journey tackling community issues.

The University of Iowa insists on maintaining its status as a school that elevates writing. But it is also generating new opportunities for students. To that end, it now has more news publications to serve as a training ground for its journalists. The school’s student-run news organization is leveraging its nonprofit status to give students more opportunities while also saving two endangered rural newspapers.

At its core, data journalism is seen as a critical way of holding the powerful to account. It allows journalists to share their receipts with the public. That proof comes from finding the relevant data and analyzing it so that it can be presented in a way that explains why it’s important. Cheryl Phillips, the founder of Big Local News at Stanford University, says even the smallest newsrooms with people who aren’t specifically trained as data journalists can do important data work.

In 2019, the Sahan Journal was established as a nonprofit media operation led by veteran journalist Mukhtar M. Ibrahim. The mission was to provide news to communities of color in and around Minneapolis. By October of last year, it had secured $7.4 million from funders and raised another $2 million from advertising and individual donations. It’s funding a newsroom staffed with people from diverse backgrounds.

Publishers and the news industry know why they have trouble increasing and even maintaining their ad revenue: The tech giants have been grabbing much of it for years. There are plenty of ad dollars, but publishers also need advanced tech tools to compete with tech giants and their technologies. Trib Total Media, serving the greater Pittsburgh area is confident it has those tools.

Rebuilding and furthering trust in news is a perpetual concern for news publishers today. As editor of the “trust team” at The New York Times, it’s Edmund Lee’s mission. Among the recent steps implemented at The Times to better communicate with the public are enhanced bylines and redesigned staff author pages, which help to personify the people behind the journalism.

What does it take to produce Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism? E&P spoke with three of this year's winning newsrooms about the origin stories for each series, the editorial and resource dilemmas they faced, and the challenges they overcame along the way.

The pace at which generative AI is overtaking the tech world is causing a wave of anxiety to ripple through the world of journalism. What is the advice from Will Oremus, who covers AI and technology for The Washington Post, and other tech experts? Proceed with caution.

Libraries hold a special place in the hearts of many, serving as cherished institutions that foster connections within communities. But over the past few years, U.S. libraries have become a battleground for political wrangling brought on by right-wing conservative activist groups seeking to change laws and restrict access to books or remove those they deem offensive from school and public libraries.

Data from Medill School of Journalism’s often-cited annual study, which examines the health of local news nationwide, explains the motivation for launching Press Forward last September. The initiative aims to rally major national foundations to reverse the trend of a shrinking news landscape.

For most journalists who don’t come from generational wealth starting out in their careers, taking up journalism as a career is a risky move, especially for underrepresented minorities like Niya Doyle. Who can survive on the $15–20 an hour a full-time internship might offer? Let alone perform free labor for publications that can't afford to pay writers anything at all? But without clips, you can't grow in the field or eventually write for larger publications, which means bigger earning potential.