Did you know that nearly half of Michigan’s counties and more than 1 million residents have limited access to local news? And did you know that 40% of Michigan’s newspapers have vanished in the past two decades, making the state among the hardest hit in the nation in loss of local news and newspaper jobs, according to the Medill School Local News Initiative at Northwestern University. 

Join One Detroit and Detroit PBS on Wednesday, July 23 at 10 a.m. for a virtual livestream of the Local News Crisis and the Impact on Michigan Communities” forum, presented by the Local Media Association. Key business and philanthropic leaders, elected officials, investors and others come together to discuss statewide initiatives and efforts working to better educate and inform Michigan residents.

Two leading journalism scholars — Northwestern University Medill School Senior Associate Dean Tim Franklin and Michigan State University School of Journalism Director Tim Vos — share insights into the challenges, trends and opportunities facing Michigan’s local news landscape today, including data from Medill School’s 2024 The State of Local News Report. Local media CEOs also discuss the impact of this crisis on communities throughout the state and the urgent need for solutions. 

The forum also touches on the philanthropic investments from local and national organizations that are working to rebuild and sustain community journalism across the state. It also explores how bipartisan public policies around the country are helping to revitalize local journalism without compromising editorial independence.

Support for this livestream provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. 

List of guests and panelists: 

Catherine Badalamente – CEO, Graham Media Group 

Sandy K. Baruah – President & CEO, Detroit Regional Chamber

Tanisha Leonard – President, Pitch Black  

Tim Franklin – Senior Associate Dean, Medill School, Northwestern University  

Tim Vos – Professor & Director, Michigan State University School of Journalism  

Chuck Todd – Political journalist; Moderator of Meet the Press (2014-2023)

Hiram Jackson – CEO, Real Times Media  

Nicole Avery Nichols – Executive Editor, Detroit Free Press 

Wendy Turner – Executive Director, Michigan Public 

Duc Luu – Director of Sustainability Initiatives/Journalism, Knight Foundation 

LaTrice McClendon – Program Director/Detroit, Knight Foundation

Melissa Milios Davis – Network Manager, PressForward  

Steve Waldman – Founder & President, Rebuild Local News