Virginia Local News Project

08/03/2026

Deliberate audience initiatives and breaking news alike have driven traffic to local newspapers in the last few months.

READ ⬇ ⬇ ⬇

The Philadelphia Inquirer launched Inquirer Weekend in April, while readers looked to The Orange County Register’s coverage when a chemical tank was at threat of exploding in May.

06/23/2026

“We have to be aggressive, we have to be entrepreneurial, we have to be consistently looking to change, to market ourselves, to do the investments needed to be successful within our market”

Patrick Dorsey knows better than most about the newspaper industry’s painful disruption. Virginia newspapers he delivered as a boy are gone. Much of his career was in chain newspapers that shrank, merged and shrank again. Yet Dorsey strongly believes the industry will endure.

06/09/2026

“America won’t save local journalism by ignoring newspapers.”

America's Newspapers

Over the past two decades, philanthropic efforts to preserve local journalism have largely focused on launching new nonprofit and digital news organizations, while often overlooking the local news organizations that continue to produce most original local reporting. Some funders are reluctant to sup...

05/26/2026

VLNP sponsored this month’s session of The Current, Who’s Telling Your Story?, a discussion about building stronger relationships between nonprofits and local media.

Special thanks to our own Executive Director, Betsy Edwards for moderating, and to the Virginia Press Association members who served as panelists Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Richmonder, Henrico Citizen and Charlottesville Tomorrow for sharing behind-the-scenes perspective on what makes a story stand out.

Local news and nonprofits both play an important role in keeping communities connected and engaged, and we are proud to be part of the conversation.

05/21/2026

Nonprofits are out here doing the work and local news outlets are looking for stories that matter.

Seems like a connection worth making.

This Thursday, you’re getting added to the group chat with

✨Betsy Edwards, /
✨Tom Lappas,
✨Erin O’Hare,
✨Michael Phillips,
✨Encarnacion Pyle,
✨Samantha Willis,
✨Mary Dunne Stewart,
✨Shayla Washington,

Who’s Telling Your Story? 👉https://blueoctopus.consulting/the-current

05/14/2026

Local news plays a critical role in keeping communities informed, engaged, and connected.

Nonprofit organizations are often closest to the people and issues shaping everyday life. But when these sectors are disconnected, important community stories can go untold.

Join us for the next session of The Current, sponsored by the Virginia Local News Project, for a discussion on how local media and nonprofits can work together to elevate important community stories.

Who’s Telling Your Story?
Local News, Nonprofits, and the Communities that Need You Both

Moderated by Betsy Edwards, VPA & VLNP Executive Director

Thursday, May 21 I 3:00-4:30 PM I Libbie Mill Library

Save Your Seat >> https://blueoctopus.consulting/the-current/

05/05/2026

It’s the second time The Post has won the prestigious award in five years. Former staff photographer Jahi Chikwendiu also won for feature photography.

04/17/2026

Local Journalism Researchers Workshop Day 2️⃣

Kicking off with our own VLNP Executive Director, Betsy Edwards, featured on a panel discussing United Press Associations: Collective Action for Local News Outlets?

04/16/2026

VPA Executive Director Betsy Edwards is in DC this week at the Local Journalism Reachers Workshop 2026.

Currently in a breakout session about State Policy & Interventions, moderated by

04/09/2026

Local news matters.

This week in Lexington, Matt Paxton, Publisher of The News-Gazette told us what local news means to its community.

Start Local >> virginianewsreader.com


TellingtheStoryofVirginia