New research from FT Strategies sets out a practical framework for building financially resilient, community-rooted local news organisations at a time of increasing pressure on the news ecosystem in the United States.
The Local News Playbook: Creating Value for a Sustainable Future draws on interviews with global media leaders, a survey of high-performing local news organisations across nine countries, and FT Strategies’ experience working with more than 1,000 news organisations worldwide, added FT Strategies.
The report, produced with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, examines what distinguishes local news organisations that built sustainable business models and how those lessons can be applied across different markets, ownership models, and stages of maturity.
According to FT Strategies, the report sets out five core value drivers that underpin sustainable local news organisations:
- Community connection - reflected in reporting that is closely aligned to local needs and civic life
- Direct relationships - built through owned channels such as newsletters, messaging services and events
- Revenue balance - with income drawn from multiple sources including reader revenue, advertising, services and philanthropy
- Mission alignment - ensuring editorial purpose and commercial decision-making reinforce one another
- Intelligent innovation - including responsible use of data and automation to support newsroom capacity
“The most resilient local news organisations are those that treat community time as their most precious resource,” said George Adelman, director and head of partnerships at FT Strategies. “This playbook sets out a practical, evidence-led approach for local media organisations, funders and policymakers who want to strengthen local news as a lasting civic institution, one that is financially viable and delivers clear public value.”
In addition to guidance for publishers, FT Strategies says the report outlines priorities for funders and policymakers, including longer-term funding approaches, investment in shared services and leadership capability, and policy frameworks that support fair value exchange between platforms and news organisations.
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