As local newsrooms adapt to rapid shifts in technology and audience behavior, one question keeps rising to the surface:
What does it look like to build news with your community, not just for it?
While traditional reporting remains essential, some newsrooms are beginning to explore a broader network of voices—particularly local content creators who are active on mobile-first platforms. These creators, often deeply rooted in their communities, are sharing updates, sparking conversations, and reaching audiences in ways that feel timely and personal.
Newsroom teams can explore partnerships with local creators—not to replace journalism, but to strengthen connections, expand reach, and stay responsive to how people share and receive information today.
The Influencer Next Door
Local creators aren’t just entertainers or commentators; many are becoming trusted messengers within their own communities. They use social platforms to explain local issues, celebrate neighborhood wins, or highlight overlooked stories that resonate with everyday life.
Forward-thinking newsrooms are taking note. Example: KSAT News leverages Nextdoor and SND for local news impact
By collaborating with these creators — or simply learning from how they engage — journalists can find new ways to bring local stories to life.
Rethinking Reach: Built for Mobile, Powered by Voice
With more people using phones to stay informed, some newsrooms are exploring new formats—like vertical video, visual explainers, and mobile-friendly audio. They’re also creating content for platforms like TikTok and Instagram, and using more conversational, easy-to-share formats to better connect with audiences where they already are.
These teams aren’t just adapting their stories; they’re rethinking their workflows. See how newsrooms are optimizing with automation in Streamline and Automate Media Publishing with SND.
This shift allows journalists to focus on what they do best: storytelling and community connection.
Exploring New Approaches in Local Newsrooms
Some newsrooms are trying new ways to connect with their communities, including:
- Get to know local content creators: Identify who’s already sharing stories online and learn more about their topics, style, and audience. Try these approaches from Expand Your Community Reach through Local News on Nextdoor.
- Explore collaboration opportunities: Invite creators to share ideas or test new formats together.
- Create content with platforms in mind: Craft stories tailored to TikTok, Instagram, or Reels. See how with Instagram Collabs in SND: Boost Engagement and Build Community.
- Support your team with tools and training: Offer space to learn and experiment with mobile and visual storytelling.
- Look at different ways to measure impact: Track engagement, shares, or community response—alongside traditional metrics.
These steps can support experimentation and learning as newsrooms adapt to changing habits.
Looking Ahead
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to working with local creators. Every newsroom, community, and platform is different. But one thing is clear: the way people access local information is changing—and so are the voices shaping it.
Newsrooms that take small, intentional steps—like mapping their local creator landscape, testing new formats, or creating space to experiment—can start building models that reflect the communities they serve today.
The opportunity isn’t just about keeping up. It’s about leading the next chapter of community-powered journalism — alongside the people already telling the story of your community, in real time. See how this vision comes to life in Building Trust in Local Communities: Social News Desk + Nextdoor.
