URL Media Co-Founder & CEO S. Mitra Kalita questions the definition of "local news" and synthesizes recommendations for how outlets can meet the needs of their audiences and scale their impact.

The crisis in local news has accelerated rapidly in recent years. Just how stark is the situation? Between late 2019 and May 2022, more than 360 American newspapers closed — and on average two papers per week continue to shutter across the country, according to Northwestern University’s Medill School. The decline of local news is deeply disturbing, but the prospects for emerging solutions are encouraging. Today, we’re publishing a series of essays from industry leaders that will serve as Signposts for the Future to help newsrooms answer the question, “What now?"

A guide for creating a more inclusive venture capital ecosystem. Includes action steps, organized both by type of actor and by time frame for implementation.