We’ve got problems: News avoidance is up, trust in news is down, and sustainability is an ongoing challenge. Journalism has real challenges – but so does everyone else. Now more than ever, local news organizations must find effective ways to tell their own story of value to their communities.
Eighteen newsrooms received valuable feedback on how to “make the case” for journalism from a panel of funder judges at Pitch Day for the latest cohort of the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding. The lessons they learned can and should be applied by any newsroom, not just to earn philanthropic funding but also to win community support. Here the the six top takeaways:
- Ground your work in community need, not your own. To be sure, newsrooms are under financial pressure. But the best way to earn community support is to focus on serving and solving community needs.
- Start with listening. Don’t assume you know what your community needs and values from you. Assuming we know is a mistake of the past we cannot continue. Deep community listening is the foundation for impactful journalism.
- Develop journalism responses to these community needs that include but go beyond mere “reporting on the problem.” Design ways to engage and convene community, and report on solutions and effective responses, not just problems.
- Think about how to meet people in your community in the spaces and places where they choose to get their information. It may not be on the platform you prefer – whether that’s print, digital, audio, video or social media.
- Focus on impact and outcomes not story count. And make the case for why YOU are the right one to partner with in the community. Be proud of your legacy of community service, of holding the powerful to account, of righting wrongs by shining a light on them, of giving voice to individuals and communities who have traditionally been underrepresented.
- Our legacy of impact in our communities has great value, but we have to tell that story, too. Journalists tell others’ stories well but have been reluctant to use those narrative skills to tell our own story. Especially long-serving local news outlets have a remarkable legacy of service and earned trust with their communities. Now more than ever, it’s important to make these connections for audiences.
Newsrooms in the most recent cohort of the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding engaged in community listening and developed reporting projects in response. They presented those projects to a panel of funders at Pitch Day in January.
Congratulations to the four newsrooms whose philanthropic journalism projects received the top scores from our panel of funder judges, and received stipends from Local Media Foundation. Here are their presentations, and some of what judges had to say about why these journalism responses to community need were so effective, and worthy of support.
Washington Blade – Fentanyl Crisis in LGBTQ Community ($1500)
“Critical issue, relevant and urgent now. Appreciate the humanizing (of the problem) and the mention of community partners.”
“The community need is undeniable. Excellent display of how this work will be scaled nationwide and strong use of how the Blade has helped solve key issues with journalism.”
Dayton Daily News – Mental Health Matters ($1250)
“(The project) strongly to the specific role that journalism, and your newsroom, will play in addressing these issues… (this) explanation of this evolution of the role of journalism, from “just reporting the news” to facilitating community conversations around key information needs) may be particularly effective, especially in making the case for investment in local news now.”
Hagadone Publishing – Civic Voices / Impacts of Growth ($1250)
“I liked how you presented Hagadone’s ‘unique selling proposition’ to kick off the presentation. Great storytelling around the need and the problem impacting the community. A clear ask with the budget for editorial team, and the three-year ask to lock in funding.”
LINK nky – Community Journalism Initiative ($1000)
“Terrific start to the presentation underscoring who LINK nky is. Great use of community data to establish the need for community members being informed on the issues that matter. Love scaling the information with (deep dives on) ‘super’ issues.”
About the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding:
Since 2020 the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding has trained 148 newsrooms in best practices for earning philanthropic support as one way to fund essential local journalism. Alumni of the lab have collectively raised more than $28 million. Thanks to continued support from Google News Initiative, the lab has expanded in 2025 to offer three new state cohorts, in California, Illinois and New Mexico, in addition to a national cohort.