Welcome to the Local Fix. Each week we look at key debates in journalism sustainability and community engagement through the lens of local news.  But first, we always begin with one good idea…

One Good Idea: Get the Best Local News in Your Inbox
At the end of 2016 three local journalists, Joseph Cranney, Alexandra Glorioso and Brett Murphy, launched a newsletter that offers a weekly round-up of great local watchdog reporting. You can subscribe to Local Matters to get great reporting in your inbox each week.

In the spirit of celebrating great reporting, this week’s Local Fix is going to be a little bit different than usual. The “best-of” list has become a staple of the end of the year, and this year we found some takes on that idea that focus on just the kinds of reporting we like to spotlight here at the Local Fix. We hope these introduce you to some terrific journalism you might have missed, and serve to inspire you with new ideas for the year ahead. 

• 🎉  The Columbia Journalism Review has compiled its list of “The best journalism of 2016” which includes a wonderful mix of local and national reporting, podcasts and mini-documentaries.   http://www.cjr.org/criticism/best_journalism_of_2016.php 
• ❓  The team at Hearken – the community-powered reporting platform – compiled a list featuring creative and compelling stories that were rooted in deep engagement with local communities. Check out their “Champions of Curiosity Awards.”  
• 💯  In their year-end post The Coral Project argued “Even with few resources, reporters can create effective, audience-centered journalism that will entice new users, engage loyal readers, and possibly earn an award or two.” They highlight some of the best ideas they saw this year – many from small newsrooms – and described how others could replicate them.  
• 📷  Both Time and the New York Times posted stunning round-ups of photojournalism from 2016. (Bonus Time also posted the best drone photography of the year and the New York Times posted all their best interactive graphics in one place)         
• 💪🏾  From the campaign trail to local communities journalists of color produced powerful and important reporting and media across platforms in 2016. See the awardees from NABJ and NAHJ as well as round-ups on “The Best Writing from Black Writers in 2016,” “30 Of The Most Important Articles By People Of Color In 2016” and “Asian American Media Milestones of 2016“
• 👀  Longreads posted all of their “No. 1 Story Picks” form 2016 and a good collection of investigative journalism too.
• 🏛  Poynter collected some of the best political reporting of 2016 and the Center for Public Integrity highlighted the best statehouse reporting of the year.

(There we so many other best-of lists we couldn’t fit them all here. If you want to find the best tech reporting, best economics reporting or 5 different best podcasts lists head over to this Medium post)

Reminder: Just two weeks left to double your donation to nonprofit newsrooms across the country through the Knight News Match.  

Have a good weekend
Josh and Teresa
@jcstearns, @gteresa

The Local Fix is a project of the Democracy Fund’s Public Square Program, which invests in innovations and institutions that are reinventing local media and expanding the public square. Disclosure: Some projects mentioned in this newsletter may be funded by Democracy Fund, you can find a full list of the organizations we support on our website.