I'd like to share some thoughts on @Google #GNI grants being aimed at "local" news. 1. YAY money! A LOT of news funders are interested in funding local but I fear they are overlooking some crucial things....
1. Because the local news ecosystem have been so devastated, so many people have been laid off, a lot of very talented people have been forced to move to big media centers to get jobs or have left the industry, and it's not easy to get them back.
A lot of local outlets have not had a culture of innovation or the ability to retain top talent bc they've been in survival mode for so long.
also: i think journalists who work outside big media centers need to also be funded and empowered to weigh in on issues of national/global significance, not JUST local reporting and issues.
When just people who live/work in big cities get to be the only voices on issues of national importance, from politics to childcare, that really narrows the stories that are being told.
I live in North Carolina and tell stories based some in NC but also all over the country. this isn't considered "local" news. I want to live in a world where journos in NC have as much voice to shape national convos as journalists in NYC.
And foundations and philanthropists should also fund it! this is what a heterogeneous news ecosystem looks like!
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