“If our nation is struggling to persuade people that journalism is independent, accurate, objective, impartial and not an instrument of power, why would we take one of the country’s most symbolically important newsrooms, an outlet serving people in uniform, and wrap it more tightly inside the very institution it is entrusted to cover?” — Rufus Friday, executive director of the Center for Integrity in News Reporting more

In local news deserts in the U.S., residents rely heavily on social media and other non-journalistic sources to stay informed, according to a comprehensive survey by the Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern University. more

Alden Global Capital, the private equity fund that owns the Chicago Tribune and more than 160 other newspapers across the United States, wants to add the Daily Herald to its portfolio. more

Feb. 5, 2026 - Colorado lawmakers are proposing to update the state’s laws around newspapers and legal notices to reflect the changing media landscape. more

O’Rourke Media Group has named JJ Tompkins as publisher of its Wisconsin Media Group, which includes nine hyper-local community newspapers and affiliated websites across the state. more

With so much false, misleading and divisive content swirling online, separating fact from fiction has become increasingly difficult for news consumers. For teenagers engaging with news for the first time, the challenge of knowing what information to trust, share and act on is even greater.

To address this urgent need, the Minnesota Star Tribune Local News Fund has announced the launch of its News Literacy Initiative, in partnership with the News Literacy Project and ThreeSixty Journalism at the University of St. Thomas. more

Instead of fading after legislators whacked its funding, Washington’s news fellowship may dramatically expand with philanthropic support. The program could place a reporter covering civic news in each of the state’s 39 counties, under a plan announced Wednesday by Washington State University’s Murrow College and Boston-based nonprofit Report for America. more

Alejandra Matos has been named the Houston Chronicle's managing editor for news and strategy, a role in which she will oversee operations and key reporting from core news teams such as business, local and state politics, data, education and more. more

Richner Communications, Inc., has announced the appointment of Bradley M. Harmon as its chief operating officer.  more

Legislation to save newsroom jobs in Washington will get a hearing Thursday but its sponsor said passage this year is a longshot. Separately, lawmakers are throwing a curveball that could cut news outlets’ ad revenue around 10%. more

America’s Newspapers Foundation is strengthening how it supports local newspapers by expanding its leadership team and investing more deeply in front-line programs. more

Mega-Conference sponsorships are nearly sold out. But there are still a limited number of opportunities for companies that want direct exposure to newspaper leaders who are actively evaluating partners, products and services for the year ahead. If your company competes in this space, representation at Mega-Conference matters. more

With two months remaining until the 2026 Mega-Conference, now is the time to finalize plans to be in Austin. more

As global attention turns toward Minnesota, The Minnesota Star Tribune is launching a new brand campaign, “Because the world is watching,” developed in partnership with its in-house, full-service agency Foundry North. more

Six months ago, I moved from working through my own state press association on policy issues to helping track and navigate them nationwide. One thing became clear pretty quickly: the challenges local newspapers face don’t stay put. The same ideas, the same language and often the same risks show up again and again — just in different states and under different bill numbers.

That reality shapes nearly everything we’re doing through the America’s Newspapers State Advocacy Coalition. This role provides a broader view across the country, hundreds of bills and a wide range of approaches. more

The Minnesota Star Tribune has filed a second lawsuit against the City of Minneapolis alleging violations of the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA), this time related to the city’s failure to respond to a lawful request for public information identifying individuals who filed misconduct complaints against Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. more

Google has announced that it would begin exploring options for content producers to opt out of their content being used in its search-related generative AI products, like AI Overviews or AI mode. more

The Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce has acquired The Lexington News, Higginsville Advance and Santa Fe Times News from Main Street Media (MSM). The transaction closed on Jan. 28.  more

CherryRoad Media has acquired The Carrollton Democrat from Main Street Media (MSM). The transaction closed Jan. 28, marking the final Missouri title to transition out of Main Street Media's newspaper portfolio. more

The seventh annual National News Literacy Week, presented by the News Literacy Project, The E.W. Scripps Company, USA TODAY and USA TODAY Network, provides educators with the tools and resources they need to help students navigate today’s information landscape more skillfully. more