INTO THE ISSUES Sustaining Rural Journalism Published Nov. 8, 2023 By Al Cross Nonprofit newspaper journalism, until now largely a feature of urban areas, is going rural – especially if the National Trust for Local News keeps up what it’s doing and plans to do.“By December, we will be the...
Kansas case is an inflection point for rural newspapers
SUSTAINING RURAL JOURNALISM Kansas case is an inflection point for rural newspapers Published Sept. 2023 By Al Cross After local police raided the office of the Marion County Record and the home of its owners, creating a national outcry that was entirely justified, the question was asked in newspaper offices...
Report for America is looking for rural newspapers
INTO THE ISSUES Report for America is looking for rural newspapers Published June 7, 2023 By Al Cross Rural newspapers are missing out on a great deal — subsidized, eager, young reporters who can boost coverage and build the paper’s brand as a public service.The deal comes from Report for...
States build support for newspapers; how to tell your story
INTO THE ISSUES States build support for newspapers; how to tell your story Published May 9, 2023 By Al Cross Newspapers and other local media seeking help through changes in government policies have turned their attention to state governments, after coming close last year in a Congress that is now...
To build trust and your audience, show how much you care, not just how much you know
INTO THE ISSUES To build trust and your audience, show how much you care, not just how much you know Published March 20, 2023 By Al Cross The national headline on stories about the latest poll on the news media and democracy were about its finding that half of Americans...
Editor ‘can handle mean,’ but can’t stand ‘baseless cynicism and unwillingness to think’
INTO THE ISSUES Editor ‘can handle mean,’ but can’t stand ‘baseless cynicism and unwillingness to think’ Published Feb. 21, 2023 By Al Cross This month’s column is mainly from someone else, because it illustrates a serious problem facing rural newspapers: How do they manage increasingly contentious public discourse and still...
A new mission: answering how rural communities sustain journalism that serves local democracy
INTO THE ISSUES A new mission: answering how rural communities sustain journalism that serves local democracy JAN 1, 2023 By Al Cross The Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues has a new mission: to answer the question we posed at our second National Summit on Journalism in Rural America...
Into the issues
INTO THE ISSUES AP lets non-member weeklies republish its investigative story about 2020 election fraud Published Jan. 10, 2022 By Al Cross Almost a year ago, this column urged community newspapers to tell their readers the truth about the 2020 presidential election — that it was fairly held — to...
Into the Issues (Aug. 2021)
INTO THE ISSUES Editorials provide leadership needed in pandemic Published Aug. 11, 2021 By Al Cross Editorials are falling from favor at many American newspapers, for various reasons, including a desire not to upset and chase away readers, especially when it comes to our increasingly tribal and polarized politics.Unfortunately, many...