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: Always Wear Your 🎧
If you’ve ever thought “I should do a podcast”, NPR Training’s new guide on transitioning from print to audio is a must read. It’s full of useful reminders, and as a few folks on Twitter pointed out, the advice is often relevant for those in TV and for writing for the web. Dive in.   

PSA: Love the Fix? Want to work on it? Apply here to be our spring intern (and share the listing with your networks. Thanks!) 

Local Investigative Journalism FTW

Around this time of year we like to look back at some of the best local reporting that has happened and the impact it has had on local communities. This year that process is a lot easier thanks to the Local Matters newsletter which collects amazing local reporting every week. The subscribe link is below – it’s really good.  On Twitter, Jason Noble created a thread of great reporting from outside New York and DC. And as we look ahead to 2018 we are excited to see ProPublica investing in investigative collaborations with local newsrooms, a new Nieman Fellowship for local investigative reporting, and local sites building their investigative muscle by working with their community.  

• Abrams Nieman Fellowship for Local Investigative Journalism established at Harvard University – Nieman
• Thread of local reporting happened this year – Jason Noble 
• Bristol Cable: the local investigative journalism co-op training citizens to hold power to account – Independent  
• Journalism’s New Patrons: VTDigger leads local investigative nonprofits – Columbia Journalism Review
• And Don’t Forget to Subscribe to Local Matters – Local Matters

💸Committed, Thrifty, Elusive💸

About a month ago, Tim Griggs tweeted about three kinds of people who pay for news. He wrote: “1) Subscriptions: Buyers. Pay because service helps me do my job or live my life better. 2) Membership: Joiners. Pay b/c of desire to be part of something. 3) Donations: Givers. Pay to support, whether use or not).” This week the American Press Institute released a terrific new report that offers a different way to look at who pays for news. They also describe three types, including “1) Civically Committed, 2) Thrifty Transactors and 3) Elusive Engagers” Understanding the diverse, and at times divergent, motivations people have for giving to support quality news is critical to making the case for support and targeting how you serve these groups.  

• The 3 types of news subscribers: Why they pay and how to convert them – American Press Institute 
• Jay Rosen: Members ‘don’t want a gate around the journalism they’re supporting’ – Poynter 
• Must read literature on membership in news – Membership Puzzle Project 
• Bklyner Needs 3,000 Donors or it Will Go Dark December 31. – Bklyner 

Ethics, Trust, and Transparency

The sting operation that targeted the Washington Post in hopes of discrediting its reporting on the Alabama Senate race made waves last week and sparked a renewed debate about undercover reporting. This coincided with a major ethics summit hosted by Poynter. One of the key take aways from the ethics summit was the need for a renewed emphasis on transparency. Indeed, it was notable that the Washington Post combatting the attempted sting through careful, ethical journalism and responded by being transparent about it on their site. We’ve collected a few more ethical links below:  

• At Poynter Ethics Summit, journalists emphasize importance of trust and transparency in the age of Trump– Poynter
• Marty Kaiser reflects on what he’s learned about journalism ethics – Center for Journalism Ethics 
• The Ethics of Undercover Journalism – Columbia Journalism Review 
• Build Your Own Code of Ethics – Online News Association 

  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.