Penelope Muse Abernathy, a visiting professor at Northwestern University, is a former senior executive at The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, who specializes in researching local journalism. She is the author of two books and five reports, including The State of Local News (Northwestern University: 2022).
Articles by or about Penelope Muse Abernathy
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A good newspaper is an anchor in a community. It reminds a community every day of its collective identity, the stake we have in one another, and the lessons of its history. Ron Heifetz, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Two decades ago, few of us envisioned how quickly and decisively the internet would demolish the economic model that had supported local news in this country for almost two centuries. In 2004, newspaper stocks...
Huge issues face the United States and the rest of the world – issues that require rigorous local journalism to help people understand the problems and identify solutions. Yet widespread financial disruption has handicapped the news industry just as the need grows. And the news itself – including the pandemic and climate change -- has made the challenge even greater for local journalists. In a series of video interviews and a public webinar in November...
Projects Penelope Muse Abernathy has worked on.
We track closures and mergers of local news outlets, as well as the emergence of new local news providers, across newspapers, digital, ethnic media, and public broadcasting. We identify local news deserts and communities in danger of becoming news deserts. We are a forum for thought leadership and the latest research on changes to the journalism landscape and practice.