Know, Serve, Connect
Understand who you serve, what your community needs, and how to build the trust that makes your work resonate.
Strong local service starts with insight — and it endures through trust. This section helps you ground your work in real community needs and strengthen your local credibility and connection.
Understand Your Community
Use data and local context to inform your decisions. Explore demographic and economic insights to better understand the people you serve. Ground your content, outreach, fundraising, and strategic planning in real community characteristics — not assumptions — so you can align your work where it will have the greatest impact.
Know Your Local News Ecosystem
See the full media landscape around you. Identify other news providers in your area, understand who is covering what, and spot gaps in coverage. Clarify your distinctive role, identify collaboration opportunities, and focus your efforts where your community needs you most.
Explore Your Local News Ecosystem
Strengthen Community Trust
Build credibility through transparency and engagement. Help your community understand how you operate, what values guide your work, and how they can connect with you. Access practical strategies and tools — including resources developed in partnership with Trusting News — to strengthen relationships and reinforce your role as a trusted local institution.
We’re continually adding new resources as they're developed. Let us know if there’s something specific you’d like to see, and sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on the latest additions.