Creating New Futures for Local Newspapers

Local newspapers are in peril. Although they continue to serve millions of Americans with vital information about their communities, newspapers face an extremely difficult environment. Private capital has stepped in to manage the business risk and take advantage of the remaining asset strength of newspapers. But the ownership, governance, and values of private capital do not foster the business or social transformation that local newspapers need to serve their communities. What can we do to help local papers find a new footing?

Elizabeth Hansen and Marc Hand have released a paper proposing a new National Trust for Local News that would support the financing and transition of local newspapers to new ownership and governance structures. They will present the outline of their proposal in this webinar, and engage in conversation with fellow panelists about the future of local newspapers. Steve Waldman, CEO and cofounder of Report for America will discuss his similar “replanting” proposal, recently published by the Open Markets Institute. Geoff Davis, CEO of the Sorenson Impact Center at the University of Utah, will comment on how social impact capital might be mobilized to respond to the business crisis in local journalism, and how these proposals relate to other new institutions being built to solve major social challenges. Setti Warren, Executive Director of the Shorenstein Center and former Mayor of Newton, MA, will moderate and comment on the importance of local journalism to public life in cities and towns.

Registration for this event has closed, you can find a recording below:

Panelists:

• Elizabeth Hansen, PhD, Program lead for news sustainability at the Shorenstein Center and co-author of “The National Trust for Local News”
• Marc Hand, co-author of “The National Trust for Local News” and CEO of Public Media Venture Group
• Steve Waldman, CEO and cofounder of Report for America, and author of “A Replanting Strategy: Saving Local Newspapers Squeezed by Hedge Funds” published Sept 2020 by the Open Markets Institute.
• Geoff Davis (HKS ’01), CEO of the Sorenson Impact Center at the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business
• Setti Warren, Executive Director of the Shorenstein Center, former Mayor of Newton, MA