Tim Franklin is the senior associate dean and John M. Mutz Chair in Local News at the Medill School at Northwestern University. He joined the Local Media Foundation board of directors in January 2024. Read more about Tim’s perspective on the local media industry and how he hopes to support LMA/LMF.

How has the local media industry transformed since you started working on it?

Tim Franklin, associate dean at Medill School

When I started working as a reporter out of college at the Chicago Tribune, I literally banged out stories on manual typewriters with thick “books” of carbon copies that went to a variety of editors. We published five or six print editions a day for many hundreds of thousands of readers. Now, writing stories on a buttery computer keyboard is less physically taxing, and a news organization can publish instantaneously around the clock.

So, the way in which local news today is produced and distributed to readers, viewers and listeners is like the difference between a Ford Escort (I owned one) and a Tesla (I don’t). Producing news is faster, more efficient, more dynamic and more interactive. And with the advent of AI, we’ll have auto-generated stories just as we have self-driving cars.

Today’s ease of publishing and broadcasting has contributed to the splintering of news audiences into a million pieces. Historically, this era is somewhat akin to the age of the “Penny Press” two centuries ago (I wasn’t alive then), when publishing became inexpensive and plentiful, and gave readers an array of news choices.

But in the end, the bedrock of the local news industry is the same — producing trusted, reliable, relevant news and information that serves communities.

What initiatives or areas of focus do you think will have the most positive impact on your organization’s future?

Being in academia now, I may have a different perspective than those still inside news organizations. But I think journalism schools like Medill have a major role to play in helping the local news industry better understand the behaviors of readers, viewers and listeners in this time of tectonic change in the media landscape.

Journalism schools can serve as a research and development partner for the local news industry. We can and should do things like data mining and analysis, product development, and audience engagement strategies that contribute to the health and sustainability of local news organizations.

And, of course, we also should help fill the pipeline of future journalists and marketers.

What do you think are the biggest challenges and opportunities in the local media industry today?

The biggest challenge is developing sustainable models for thriving local news ecosystems that serve communities and strengthen our democracy.

This moment in time also is an opportunity for reinvention. Constant innovation is now table stakes for the local news industry. The encouraging thing is that I’m seeing more collaboration and experimentation than at any time in my career.

Why are you excited to join the LMA board of directors?

I’m looking forward to working with the other directors and LMA members to help discover new models for local news.

I want to be a sponge and learn as much as I can from LMA directors and members, so that I can help Medill and others to help the industry. I love talking about ideas and possibilities with smart people. And I hope that I can play even a small part in contributing to LMA, which the industry needs more than ever.

What keeps me up is the prospect of our democracy and communities without a vibrant local news industry.

What gets me up is the passion to help local news leaders who are tirelessly and courageously serving their communities during a time of historic media transformation.