As misinformation spreads across social media and beyond, the Maine Trust for Local News is combating false narratives with “Fact Briefs” — 150-word, yes-or-no explainers that have quickly become some of its most-read stories. The Maine Trust for Local News started publishing two briefs a week in May, and they have ranked among its best-read items, with more than 160,000 page views and 200,000 readers in about 10 months.  Fact Briefs are an editorial product developed by Giga

Every March, two Georgia cities transform. Dublin goes green. Macon goes pink. And in both places, a local newspaper owned by the Georgia Trust for Local News is at the center of it. A St. Patrick's Parade float in Dublin, Ga. At The Courier Herald , that role stretches back decades. The paper has been involved in Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Festival since its first days , when a local radio host’s on-air Irish music and jokes grew into something bigger – a collaboration between t

The Maine Trust for Local News was a big winner in the 2025 Better Newspaper Competition presented by the New England Newspaper & Press Association. The professional trade organization announced the honorees at a banquet during the New England Newspaper Convention in March. Newsrooms across the Maine Trust, including The Portland Press Herald, Morning Sentinel and Sun Journal, earned multiple recognitions for reporting, photojournalism, columns, feature writing and advertisin

At the National Trust, we renew civic life by rebuilding local news. Our 70-plus local news brands are cornerstones of the communities they serve. As a founding partner of the inaugural Local News Day  – a nationwide effort to reconnect communities with trusted local news sources – we’re proud to celebrate the impact of local news and its foundational role in civic engagement and democracy across our state trusts : Maine In recognition of Local News Day, and as a thank-you t

The National Trust for Local News’ mission comes to life through the work of the teams on the ground at each of our state trusts. In our ongoing Building the Trust feature, we highlight the people at the forefront of constructing a new model for local news. Christopher Wheelock, business & enterprise reporter, Sun Journal The biggest stories of Christopher Wheelock’s 44-year career unfolded on the world stage. From a control room at CNN International, he helped produce the ne

Kevin Smalley is a long way from home.   His family is on the East Coast. His personal and professional roots in New York State run deep – and as a suffering backer of the NFL’s Jets, he has the fandom to prove it. When he wound down the operations of a large Schenectady, N.Y., press in 2023, he was ready to retire and be a grandpa.   Kevin Smalley, Production Director, The Trust Press But when you work in newspaper production for 38 years, it’s difficult to resist the call t

The National Trust for Local News’ mission comes to life through the work of the teams on the ground at each of our state trusts. In our ongoing Building the Trust feature, we highlight the people at the forefront of constructing a new model for local news. Leslie Bridgers' most recent column in the Portland Press Herald about a man who visited all 454 cities & towns in Maine -- all for something to say in his obituary. As a columnist for the Portland Press Herald, Leslie Bri

When Kyle Dominy writes, the town seems to talk. He’s a journalist at his core, an observer.  His most talked-about recent work, headlined “ Shopping Carts and Living at the End of Civilization ,” was a column on the absence of the decent act of returning carts to the corral after finishing at the grocery store. For Dominy, it was part of one day in a small town that he thought spoke to kindness and caring for your neighbor. “I'll take 30 seconds of my day and stretch it into

What if readers didn’t just read about tough civic decisions — but made them? To engage and inform audiences on important local issues, The Colorado Trust for Local News is turning complex community debates into interactive experiences. In January, senior education reporter Suzie Glassman received a $10,000 grant through The National Trust for Local News’ News Innovation Sprint  to develop "Interactive Democracy: Choose Your Own Adventure" – a digital tool that allows readers