In April, a group of civic-minded citizens in Concord, Massachusetts, held a forum in the basement of a church to gather feedback from residents about their vision for local news. A common sentiment echoed across the room, packed with nearly 100 attendees: The town was hungry for a local news source, both print and digital, with stories on key issues in Concord, as well as police logs and obituaries. The void in local coverage in Concord, an affluent and politically-engaged suburb of Boston, had been palpable for some time. The Concord Journal, owned by Gannett, no longer had a reporter dedicated to Concord, with regional content and ads increasingly crowding out local stories. Multiple rounds of Gannett layoffs accompanied changes at the Journal. In August, Gannett laid off 400 employees companywide and eliminated open positions. The company then cut more at the beginning of this month.
Origen: ‘Local journalism is stampeding back, town by town.’ – Poynter
