Newsletter

Newsletter: Celebrating independent news for Independence Day

June 30, 2026

As we prepare to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary this weekend, we have been considering the institutions that sustain democracy.

We believe a big part of the answer is local news, and new research from The Lenfest Institute’s Statewide News Collective shows exactly how.

A recent study of five independent, statewide newsrooms — Mountain State Spotlight, Spotlight PA, The Colorado Sun, The Nevada Independent, and Mississippi Today — found that their readers are about 40% more active in their communities than non-readers. They’re more likely to post about local politics, sign petitions, attend political meetings, donate to local organizations, and volunteer. 

Readers of these newsrooms also feel more informed about state issues and are better able to identify their elected officials, giving them the tools they need to hold leaders accountable or even run for office themselves.

Read the full report Read the full report

This is what our First Amendment rights are for: When local journalism is strong, our communities are stronger.

As we head into the holiday weekend, we’re grateful to local news organizations across the country for doing this work—and to people like you who make it possible. 

Thank you, as always, for your support of local journalism and The Lenfest Institute. If a friend forwarded you this email, you can subscribe to our newsletter here. 

News and notes

🚨 Applications for Every Voice, Every Vote are open through July 13. Philadelphia media and community organizations are invited to apply for support with projects that strengthen civic engagement through issues-based coverage, build trust through community listening, and reach underserved communities through partnerships with trusted messengers. 

✅ To help newsrooms get ahead of major changes in audience engagement, revenue, technology, and workforce development, we just launched the 2030 Newsroom Readiness Diagnostic. Take the free quiz to see where your organization stands and receive personalized recommendations to act on.

💡 As local newsrooms face business challenges, the Lenfest Expert Network is working to connect them with consultants that provide tailored solutions — all at no cost to the newsroom. Editor and Publisher Magazine recently sat down with our Head of Advisory Programs Cheryl Thompson-Morton, along with several of our experts and participants, to learn how the Network is building more resilient newsrooms.

🏈 As audiences increasingly turn to social media for news and information, investing in the tools to meet them where they are can go a long way. Varsity Maine, part of the Portland Press-Herald, saw its Instagram following grow 22x over two years after a Lenfest Institute grant helped it bolster its social strategy. Varsity Maine shared how it got more creative with its content —  and how building a larger following led to new revenue streams.