"Legacy media organizations are consolidating: swallowed up by chain ownership that cuts, bleeds, and sells off everything that makes them distinctively local. In an attempt to survive, they cling together on the same life raft. Startups and nonprofits are collaborating: benefiting from a rapid increase in commonly available resources and journalism support organizations, a growing national infrastructure that supports the local civic infrastructures they are trying to build."
"Though Nexstar and Tegna's TV conglomerates got headlines this year, ownership of American newspapers has consolidated most dramatically. Data from Northwestern makes this clear: The number of unique newspaper owners fell by half since 2005, from 3,995 to 1,900. These chains "share resources" by filling space with national wire services. While this props up the print product for subscribers, it dilutes the localness that makes the product valuable in the news marketplace."
Local news ecosystems are becoming more interdependent but increasingly divided along ownership and operational lines. Legacy outlets are being absorbed by chains that centralize operations, reduce distinctive local content, and rely on national wire services. For-profit and nonprofit ownership shifts have also led to sales, staff reductions, and reduced print production in some markets. Meanwhile, startups and nonprofit newsrooms are forming collaborative networks, accessing shared resources, and using new infrastructure and support organizations to sustain local civic reporting. The result is a deepening split between consolidation-driven survival strategies and partnership-driven journalism innovation.
Read at Nieman Lab
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