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Virtual Engagement Session: Filling the Gap in Local News
Background
Over the past two decades, thousands of local newspapers from coast to coast have ended up in the hands of media conglomerates or private equity firms, which have often drained them of resources or shuttered them all together. Thousands of journalists lost jobs, the consolidation of newspapers accelerated, and “news deserts” – localities without a single source of local independent reporting – spread rapidly.
But the situation isn’t hopeless. As traditional outlets dimmed their lights, hundreds of agile, independent small news organizations have emerged to fill some of those gaps. Their audiences are their local communities and neighbors, and their leadership and editorial angles are as diverse as the communities they serve. The common thread is a universal need for legal advice and services to help these outlets survive and grow, especially as they face evolving threats to press freedom and restrictive conditions.
The Vance Center launched its Lawyers for Reporters program more than five years ago to provide essential legal services on a pro bono basis to local, mission-driven journalism organizations across the United States.
We spoke with Sally Kestin of the Asheville Watchdog, our very first LFR client, about the Watchdog’s formation, critical reporting, and the legal support they’ve received from Lawyers for Reporters.
Our Speakers
- Sally Kestin, award-winning investigative journalist and co-founder of the Asheville Watchdog
- Kay Murray, Managing Director, Lawyers for Reporters, Vance Center
Key Takeaways
Building trust is essential and makes a world of difference in moments of crisis. During the conversation, Sally reflected on why she and her co-founders started the Asheville Watchdog in 2020 as a “public service” for their community. The nonprofit outlet’s mission is to “inform and engage the citizens of Asheville and surrounding communities by providing fair, factual and reliable in-depth news stories about local government, institutions, issues, and people.”
This fall, as Asheville and much of Western North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene, residents turned to local sources like the Watchdog to get urgent information about the storm and its aftermath. The Watchdog‘s committed, rapid reporting provided a critical source of news for the community during the storm and as they began to rebuild after this environmental disaster. The Watchdog‘s exclusive series “The lives we lost to Helene,” is documenting the lives of some of the residents who didn’t make it through the storm.
As media outlets grow and evolve, their legal needs change, too. The Vance Center has worked with Sally and the Watchdog team since its early days to provide legal advice and support. As the outlet developed and grew to a team of more than a dozen staff and volunteers, Sally and her colleagues have returned to the LFR team with new questions and legal needs.
There’s hope for local, independent news. Sally shared her optimism about the future of local news in the U.S., tips for other local news organizations, and outlined how the Watchdog’s commitment to relevant accountability reporting has resonated with its community. She emphasized that “people really do appreciate that we …. are not beholden to shareholders, we have their interest at heart. They can see that, and they see that we are fearless and do stories that hold people accountable and are relevant and important. That’s what local journalism is all about.”
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About Our Work
LFR clients cover communities and locations that have often been historically excluded from traditional media reporting. These outlets are doing essential work delving into issues that matter to their audiences, telling stories that might not otherwise reach the public, addressing gaps in coverage, and fighting back against the news deserts spreading across the United States.
The Vance Center’s work with independent media doesn’t only cover the U.S. Through our Public Interest Reporting program, we support independent journalism organizations around the globe. From courageous reporters documenting current events in Afghanistan and Ukraine to investigative journalists uncovering corruption, our work helps ensure that these reporters can access free legal services and defend themselves against corrupt actors that aim to silence them.
More on our Public Interest Reporting Program
Supporting the Vance Center helps us continue expanding our vital work to provide essential legal services to local, independent, and mission-driven news outlets. Our clients are blazing new pathways to tell the stories that truly matter to their communities, and we are making sure they have the legal backing to do so.