Moore: Local news’ fight for survival

The Pulitzer Prizes: The survival of local journalism is finally getting the public attention it deserves. But the question now is: Will it make a difference?

I certainly hope so. Despite ominous signs with downsizing continuing at local newspapers and now even at some of the digital upstarts that were supposed to harken a new future for the craft, there are sprouts of optimism. City Bureau, Resolve Philadelphia and Outlier Media have all been pegged as promising approaches for delivering local news.

When I talk about the crisis in local news, I am not talking about the major national newspapers, such as The Washington Post and The New York Times, or even networks like ABC, CNN or Fox. They have done quite well in rough and tumble Trump world. Is that sustainable? We’ll have to wait and see.

But local journalism is where accountability journalism matters most. It is focused on how dollars are spent and how priorities are set on the local level. It is often that base level reporting that becomes the seed corn for bigger national stories with datelines from the heartland and the tiniest suburbs.

Even if you are agnostic about platform, you have to be worried about local journalism’s very survival. That’s why I am rooting for those local startups that with the right support can combine with what we have left to keep journalism alive. And I am just about willing to consider any viable solution that doesn’t change the core mission of the craft.

Visit The Pulitzer Prizes for more.

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