It is a tragedy for the journalists who, amid unthinkable exchanges, have been prevented from continuing their service to the American people. Through forceful editorial writing, relentless local reporting, deeply reported features and coverage of the nation’s most harrowing moments, their work has been woven into the civic fabric for generations.
This nation can take enormous pride in that service. As an independent news organization, we know what it takes to sustain that level of commitment. We also know what is lost when it disappears. Local journalism is not an abstraction. It is a daily act of care. Every community deserves a news organization that understands it, challenges it and, above all, loves it best.
But this moment should not be lazily folded into the tired narrative of inevitable decline that too often frames conversations about local news. Yes, metro newspapers face steep and sometimes unforgiving challenges in building the audience and revenue required to pay for serious journalism. That reality is undeniable. What is also undeniable is that the situation here is inseparable from years of instability and an ownership approach to labor relations that has been publicly erratic and widely scrutinized. This is not simply a market failure. It is a management story.
As with most stories worth reporting, the truth resists convenient conclusions. Treating this as a cautionary tale about the “death of local news” lets decision-makers off the hook and obscures the real lessons.
For years now, local television, public media and digital news organizations have adapted, innovated and pushed through immense financial pressure to keep serving their audiences. In most communities, credible independent sources of journalism and advertising still exist—and, in many cases, are growing stronger. That matters.
The work does not end here. I remain hopeful that other publishers, media organizations and new entrants will step forward to fill the void, invest in journalists and recommit to the essential civic mission of local news. Communities need trusted information to function. Journalists are still ready to provide it. What’s required now is leadership willing to meet that responsibility.