Here’s a list of 80+ NYC local news outlets that need your support
The New York Times compiled membership lists from five press associations into a database, published on May 1, 2020 for World Press Freedom Day. The list was searchable by location, and the paper urged its national audience to support local media with subscriptions and donations. “Local journalism is in crisis and at risk of disappearing,” the paper said. “These vital resources are critical to the safety, security and knowledge of our communities, never more so than in these difficult times.”That’s true. When these publications are perhaps more necessary than ever for the health and safety of communities, they’re also facing their greatest existential crisis. The same Coronavirus pandemic that makes news publishers so critical has also gutted their business models — largely retail advertising and events. In response, many have shed staff and been forced to do more with less. The problem, though, is that the New York Times’ database was far from comprehensive. As Poynter noted, “The list excluded small, locally owned places that aren’t members of any of those organizations, members of the National Newspaper Association, local public radio and TV stations and college newspapers, which, in some places, are filling the gaps left by shrinking local newspapers.” (The Times later added the NNA.) Trying to put together a comprehensive list of local news organizations across the country is no small feat. Though the Times’ list missed many publications doing good and noble work, the net effect was positive. Some publishers turned the mention into a fundraising campaign and raised thousands of dollars.
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