The U.S. economy is a dynamic beat that requires constant learning and adaptation. Scott Horsley, chief economics correspondent for NPR, notes that the audience for economic news is broad, with everyone interested in paying their bills and having a job and a home. Nick Timiraos, chief economics correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, focuses on monetary policy, while Ben Casselman, economics reporter for The New York Times, uses data visualization and comparison to help readers understand complex economic stories. The economy is a strange beast with political implications, and Casselman believes that his role is to give readers some real understanding of the basic facts. more

Jeff Bezos’ overhaul of The Washington Post’s Opinions section has sparked intense backlash. By vowing to champion “personal liberties and free markets” while sidelining opposing views, he’s drawn sharp criticism — even from former Post leaders. With Opinions editor David Shipley resigning in protest, the move raises questions about editorial independence. Will Bezos uphold the broad freedoms he claims to defend, or is this a shift toward ideological control? more

Local newsrooms are stretched thin—but what if reporters could instantly harness powerful, hyperlocal data to uncover compelling stories in minutes, not hours? USC-Annenberg’s Gabriel Kahn has cracked the code, creating game-changing tools that transform public data into engaging narratives, driving readership and revitalizing community journalism. more

The best way to learn journalism is by doing journalism. That’s the educational philosophy at Santa Ana College in Santa Ana, California. The curriculum trains students in everything from narrative storytelling to social media and media entrepreneurship to visual journalism. more

Public-facing AI innovation has largely remained in the domain of Silicon Valley. But more than 2,000 miles away in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, a family-owned network of news outlets seems determined to prove that it isn’t too late for local journalism to take charge of its digital destiny. more

Most Americans have never met a journalist in real life, and that disconnect fuels skepticism about the news they consume. Gannett’s Meet Our Team initiative is tackling this head-on by introducing readers to the reporters behind the headlines—showing them who they are, how they work, and why local journalism matters. Through behind-the-scenes stories, community events, and journalist profiles, Gannett is breaking down barriers and rebuilding trust in local news. Could this be the key to stronger audience engagement? Find out how it’s working and what’s next. more

From climate change that looms silently in the skies to the roles that flea-infested pesky prairie dogs play in the desert dirt, the journalists who write and capture photos for High Country News consider a panorama of stories to bring to their readers. In recent years, the magazine has concentrated on telling those stories from the perspective of its Indigenous population, who often have a different outlook on land management and use than colonial practices. more

Although there is no magic formula to alleviate all the pressures newsrooms face, utilizing a content management system (CMS) is the one digital tool essential for publishing and media success. Whether for-profit or nonprofit, media and news outlets of any size must achieve higher levels of efficiency, convenience and time- and cost-savings as these industries continue to evolve and become more competitive. more

Prism, an award-winning independent nonprofit newsroom led by journalists of color, takes a transformative approach to reporting. Its mission is to “tell stories from the ground up: to disrupt harmful narratives and to inform movements for justice.” The team of 15 staffers and freelancers based all around the country realize this vision through movement journalism. more

AI in journalism has shifted from a disruptive threat to a practical tool, helping reporters work smarter without replacing them. While early fears of automation taking over newsrooms have faded, AI-powered tools are proving invaluable for tasks like transcription, data analysis, and investigative research. The challenge now is how journalists can harness AI’s potential while ensuring accuracy, credibility, and public trust in their reporting. more

Healthbeat focuses on three broad topics: infectious diseases, accountability of the public health system and serving professionals in the local communities who work on public health issues. The coverage in Healthbeat is driven by independent accountability journalism and serving a community-centered audience to fill gaps in important information. more

It’s time for every public media board, executive team and CEO to ask a hard question: Do we have the right leadership and skills to lead a radical digital transformation? If not, E&P columnist Tom Davidson says it’s time to fix that — even if it means firing people. more

The rivalry between New York newspaper tabloids created a famously competitive and sharp-elbowed media environment — one that benefitted generations of readers. Kathy Kiely and Vincent Morris understand this because they worked on opposite sides of the celebrated New York Daily News/New York Post feud. However, in this column for E&P, they write that the public sometimes benefits more when those rivalries are put aside. “To our former colleagues in the Washington press corps: That time is now.” more

“Helping local media companies discover new and sustainable business models” is the sole focus of the Local Media Association. The Local Media Foundation is a charitable trust and “serves as the innovation and transformation affiliate of LMA.” Together, they are making a concerted effort to transform legacy media business models for the digital age and assist local media entrepreneurs to establish their credibility and build a loyal audience. more

The U.S. press is in crisis. Beyond the market pressures that have for years now carved newsrooms hollow, external threats — of a physical, rhetorical and legal nature — abound. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker found 48 cases of journalists being detained or arrested in 2024 alone. The Tracker also chronicles incidents of assaults on journalists. Another growing concern for news media publishers is the threat of legal action. more

With the backing of an exceptional board of directors and support from generous funding sources, Mark Zusman, editor and co-owner of Willamette Week, Portland’s alternative newspaper, launched the Oregon Journalism Project in fall 2024. Its mission is more investigative reporting from a highly regarded team of journalists on issues important to all Oregonians. All the OJP’s reporting will be available at no cost to a network of local Oregon publications — currently numbering 25. more

Public media’s audience is aging, broadcast is fading, and digital-first competitors are winning. Yet, many still cling to outdated models. Tom Davidson lays out a bold challenge: stop fixating on broadcast and start acting like modern media organizations. From rethinking audience engagement to embracing data, he outlines what must change—before it’s too late. more

As we barrel towards the midpoint of the 2020s, the local media landscape is poised for seismic changes that will redefine the industry as we know it. From the shedding of unprofitable properties to the rise of AI-powered autonomous media companies, here are five interrelated trends that E&P columnist Guy Tasaka believes will shape the future of local publishing in 2025 and beyond. more

Mike Luckovich hasn’t felt the need to pull any punches during his three decades of drawing political cartoons for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. But the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist admits even he’s a bit apprehensive as Donald Trump reoccupies the White House. He spoke with Editor & Publisher about his approach to drawing Trump, the difficulty finding an online audience for local cartoons and the current state of the profession. more

If you had to distill down to a single phrase the educational culture at the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC), it might read, “a place for innovative experiential learning.” From SOJC’s newly designed curricula to internships, study-abroad opportunities, student-run magazines and radio and TV stations, graduates are exceptionally prepared for the ever-evolving, demanding fields they professionally pursue. more