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In this episode of E&P Reports, we examine one of the most consequential local news stories in the country — the near-collapse and sudden reinvention of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — through separate interviews with two key voices: Andrew Conte, a leading local news advocate and managing director of the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University, and Bob Cohn, president and CEO of The Baltimore Banner and The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, the organization now stepping in to lead the paper's future. Access more at this episode's landing page, at: https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/inside-the-pittsburgh-post-gazette-turnaround-what-its-new-owners-plan-next,261214  

For decades, local media relied on a simple formula: build audience, and advertisers would follow. Now, Gordon Borrell notes, that formula has quietly failed as the local business landscape and marketing decision-makers have shifted. Service businesses, in-house marketers, and AI-driven tools increasingly control ad spending. Borrell warns traditional media must rethink their sales approach to stay relevant with today's advertisers. Access more at this episode's landing page, at: https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/borrell-why-local-media-advertising-got-harder-to-sell,261030  

Investigative journalism has never been easy. But according to the latest State of Accountability Journalism report from the University of Florida's Collier Prize, the reporters doing that work today say the obstacles are growing even as their commitment to watchdog reporting remains strong. Shrinking newsroom staffs, rising costs for public records and increasing resistance from government agencies are making investigations harder to pursue. Yet many journalists say the very pressures threatening accountability reporting are also reinforcing why it matters. As Collier Prize director Rick Hirsch put it, "this is a hard business. If you're going to stick in it, you've got to be committed and believe in the impact that it can have." Access more at this episode's landing page, at: https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/commitment-over-capacity-why-investigative-journalism-persists-despite-shrinking-newsrooms,260965  

Rebuilding the statehouse beat: Inside The Center Square's growing newswire model The decline of traditional newsroom staffing has thinned one of journalism's most important beats: statehouse reporting. As fewer reporters cover legislative chambers and the policy decisions shaping taxpayers' lives, new models have emerged to fill the gap. Among the fastest-growing is The Center Square, a nonprofit newswire focused on government accountability reporting that publisher Chris Krug says was built to address what he sees as a structural hole in the American news ecosystem. Access more at this episode's landing page, at: https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/rebuilding-the-statehouse-beat-inside-the-center-squares-growing-newswire-model,260877  

For generations of service members, Stars and Stripes has been known as the soldiers' newspaper, funded by the U.S. government but protected by law to report independently on the military it covers. Now that independence is facing renewed scrutiny. Signals from the Pentagon about refocusing the paper's coverage and internal policy shifts have raised concerns among journalists and press freedom advocates that the Defense Department may be seeking to reshape the mission of one of the world's most unusual news organizations. Access more at this episode's landing page, at: https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/stars-and-stripes-defends-its-independence-amid-new-pentagon-pressures,260760  

The Australian Financial Review once called Rod Sims "the most feared man in Australian business." Big Tech soon learned why. As chair of Australia's competition regulator, Sims helped design the groundbreaking News Media Bargaining Code that forced platforms like Google and Facebook to negotiate payments with publishers. In this conversation with E&P, Sims explores how the policy now sends roughly $250 million a year back to news organizations and what publishers around the world can learn from Australia's fight to make Big Tech pay for journalism. Access more at this episode's landing page, at: https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/how-australia-forced-big-tech-to-pay-for-journalism-and-what-publishers-everywhere-can-learn,260630  

A new industry survey from the Local Media Consortium (LMC) suggests that while digital revenue across local media remains relatively stable, the path forward is becoming more complicated. One of the most striking findings: the number of publishers identifying audience revenue as a major challenge has surged dramatically year over year. Fran Wills, CEO of the LMC, says the shift doesn't necessarily signal collapse — but it does reflect a new phase of pressure on subscription growth and sustainability. In a conversation with E&P, Wills breaks down what the data reveals about the evolving economics of local journalism and where publishers may need to look next for long-term stability.    Access more at this episode's landing page, at: https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/new-lmc-report-finds-digital-revenue-stable-as-audience-revenue-pressures-grow,260529  

For decades, media leaders have debated whether journalism can sustain itself as a standalone business. But in a rapidly evolving landscape, Hearst is offering a different perspective — one outlined in its latest annual letter from CEO Steven Swartz, which makes clear the company's center of gravity has shifted far beyond traditional media. In a recent conversation on E&P Reports, David Carey, senior vice president of public affairs and communications at Hearst, expanded on that strategy, explaining how the company's transformation wasn't reactive, but decades in the making. His insights reveal a model that doesn't abandon journalism, but strengthens it through broader business innovation. Access more at this episode's landing page, at: https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/a-blueprint-beyond-media-how-hearst-is-redefining-sustainability,260420  

When a newsroom can't hire reporters, the problem isn't always pay — sometimes it's rent. In one coastal community, the cost of living got so high that journalists simply couldn't afford to cover the news. So instead of raising salaries or cutting coverage, the solution took an unexpected turn: they bought a condo. It's a bold move that may point to a new model for keeping local journalism alive. Access more at this episode's landing page, at: https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/when-journalists-cant-afford-rent-one-newsroom-buys-them-a-home,260288  

Local journalism isn't disappearing — it's being rebuilt in real time, and a new report from FT Strategies aims to show exactly how. Drawing on global data, newsroom case studies and on-the-ground experience, the Local News Playbook shifts the conversation from crisis to what's actually working. Instead of asking how to save journalism, the report examines what the most resilient organizations already have in common — and how others can follow. In a conversation with E&P, George Adelman, director and head of partnerships at FT Strategies, unpacks the patterns, priorities and practical steps that are redefining sustainability for local news.  Access more at this episode's landing page, at: https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/unpacking-the-local-news-playbook-what-sustainable-publishers-are-doing-differently,260183  

When national attention suddenly converges on a single city, the decisions made inside one local newsroom can shape how the entire world understands what's happening. That is the position The Minnesota Star Tribune now finds itself in as immigration enforcement activity in Minneapolis draws intense national and international scrutiny. In this moment, journalism, safety, credibility, and brand strategy are no longer separate conversations — they are happening at once, in real time. This behind-the-scenes look reveals how the Star Tribune's newsroom and leadership are navigating pressure, responsibility, and purpose as the world watches Minneapolis. Access more at this episode's landing page, at: https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/when-minneapolis-becomes-the-story-inside-the-star-tribunes-newsroom-and-brand-response,260084  

Local journalism has no shortage of big ideas about innovation — but far fewer examples of those ideas being funded, tested, and trusted by the people closest to the work. After a year of scrutiny, retrenchment and hard questions about its future, the National Trust for Local News is experimenting with a different approach: putting real money and real authority directly into the hands of journalists. At the center of that shift is a first-of-its-kind Innovation Sprint designed to surface newsroom-driven solutions, not executive theory. This conversation explores what happens when innovation moves from the boardroom to the newsroom floor — and why that change may matter more than any single tool or grant. Access more at this episode's landing page, at: https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/funding-innovation-from-the-ground-up-how-the-national-trust-for-local-news-is-rethinking-change,259959  

Disinformation is no longer a background hazard of modern journalism — it is a coordinated, weaponized assault on truth itself. In a world where lies travel faster than facts and chaos is deliberately engineered to exhaust the public, national security correspondent JJ Green says journalists are now fighting a real war for credibility. Drawing on decades of coverage of intelligence, conflict zones and information warfare, Green frames today's media crisis as an existential battle for democratic survival. His new book, "The Noise War," is not a warning shot — it's a field manual for journalists on the front lines of disinformation. Access more at this episode's landing page, at: https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/inside-the-noise-war-a-field-manual-for-journalists-fighting-disinformation,259836  

Local journalism is shrinking in much of the country — but The Baltimore Banner is moving in the opposite direction. In just two years, the nonprofit newsroom has grown into Maryland's largest reporting operation, expanded beyond Baltimore, and built a fast-growing base of paying subscribers. Now, with their new editor-in-chief Audrey Cooper at the helm, The Banner is doubling down on a belief that many in the industry have quietly abandoned: scale still matters. In this wide-ranging conversation, the newsroom's new leader explains why growth, impact, and sustainability are inseparable — and what local journalism risks losing if it stops thinking big.\ Access more at this episode's landing page, at: https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/the-baltimore-banner-enters-a-new-year-and-a-new-chapter-with-a-new-editor-in-chief,259711  

What news consumers are really saying about AI: insights from the Trusting News/LMA study  A new national survey of nearly 1,500 local news consumers reveals growing concern about AI's role in journalism—but also a clear path forward. Funded by the Walton Family Foundation and conducted by the Local Media Association and Trusting News, the study shows audiences overwhelmingly want human oversight, transparency, and clarity about how AI is used. John Humenik of LMA and Lynn Walsh of Trusting News joined E&P Reports to break down the results. Their message: trust is still journalism's greatest asset—AI can't replace that. Access more at this episode's landing page, at: https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/988-say-ai-cant-replace-journalists-new-study-reveals-why-that-matters-now,259577