When I’m trying to understand what’s working and what isn’t in local news, there are a few smart people I pay attention to. The Pivot Fund’s Tracie Powell is one of them. Powell’s work has helped me better discern what business models can and cannot do for our industry; it puts a spotlight on journalists building great local newsrooms in places I wouldn’t think to look; and last week, it called for us to pay attention to a real issue for local newsrooms. 

For Poynter, Powell wrote that even as funding and support grow for the local news ecosystem, direct financial support is often missing. 

“There’s no sustainability without stability. And there’s no stability without money that pays for people’s time, care and creativity. If philanthropy is serious about saving local news, it must fund what publishers actually need, not just what looks strategic in a grant report.” 

You can read the full piece, which includes solutions, here.


That’s it for me. I got the fall cold over the weekend and will now return to brushing the cold-medicine cobwebs from my brain. 🤒

Kristen