by Peter Weinberger

It’s been a challenging year for fact-based journalism as misinformation continued to spread at both the national and local levels. For the Courier, that meant chasing stories that affected Claremont but originated elsewhere, forcing us to localize broader national issues for our readers. This has become a defining trend in 2025, and it will likely continue into 2026. We have ambitious plans for the year ahead, though we also recognize that plans can shift quickly when we’re forced to remain in reactive mode.

Growing news deserts

Local newspapers continued disappearing at a pace similar to — or worse than — 2024. More than 130 local news outlets closed this year, averaging over two per week. This trend has expanded news deserts with little to no local reporting to 213 U.S. counties. About 50 million Americans live with limited or no access to fact-based local news.

Smaller independent newspapers, many family-run for decades, accounted for most of these closures, not the big chain roll-ups of prior years. The Courier continues to buck many of these trends as a hybrid print and digital news provider with strong reader and advertising support.

Digital startups and new models

A bright spot in 2025 was the continued rise of digital-only local news outlets and journalism startups, with more than 300 launched over the past five years. These digital outlets often operate under new business models (membership, philanthropy, nonprofit status), though most are concentrated in urban or affluent markets, not rural regions where news deserts persist. San Francisco, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Twin Cities and Denver are leaders for news startups.

Locally, there are no true news deserts per se, but media of all types report less fact-based journalism, especially at the local level. The Courier is a unique media entity, with our hybrid approach of print and digital. Much of this is due to the generosity of our readers and subscribers. Our award-winning journalism still rates high for quality and coverage.

Public broadcasting under pressure

Public radio and television have long been local news staples, especially in rural areas. But federal funding cuts to public broadcasting in 2025 threatened these outlets, making some communities even more vulnerable to losing local coverage. As a result, there’s more reliance on donor support and underwriting. KCRW and LAist are struggling with smaller staffs, but are as popular as ever. We already know that hits and views do not necessarily translate to more revenue.

Ongoing structural change

Local newsroom employment continued to shrink, and online readership for traditional news outlets declined sharply. Especially hard hit were daily newspapers and news websites in Southern California, 11 of which are owned by MediaNews Group. Their solution for local news, sports and lifestyle coverage is simply to share content to a central hub. The result? The pages are filled, but not with real local news.

Advertising dollars and digital subscription momentum have not rebounded, as Google and Meta capture key spending, nationally and locally. This issue impacts the Courier in profound ways, as these platforms steal our stories for their newsfeeds. The hope to solve this, like in other countries, is gone. This costs the Courier about $140,000 a year in lost subscription and advertising revenue.

Local journalism is reshaping rapidly but remains in brain drain mode due to the profound loss of talented writers. Loss of outlets and journalists continues to outpace the creation of sustainable alternatives, and gaps in coverage are widening in many communities. While innovation and investment offer hope, challenges remain deep and systemic.

Sustaining local journalism

In 2025, the Courier undertook active fundraising and sustainability campaigns, including a $100k Challenge Match fundraiser to raise community support. Reader support surged, pushing community donations past critical fundraising goals — a good sign local readers value what the Courier provides. By the end of 2025, the Courier will have raised about $151,000 in donations. This represents about 17% of our total revenue and a record amount for us as a nonprofit.

Challenges reflect national trends

Like many local news outlets, the Courier faces considerable financial headwinds, including fewer readers willing to pay even as readership grows, rising costs, and competition from free sources. Claremont’s experience echoes the broader national trend where local news is being consumed but not always supported financially, creating a sustainability gap that must be bridged with reader support, philanthropy, and new business models. In 2026, the Courier will be exploring new models to help us remain independent.

Local impact

Without the Courier, Claremont — like other communities that lose local news outlets — would risk becoming a news desert, leading to less civic participation, reduced watchdog reporting, and weaker community cohesion. The Courier’s coverage has historically boosted civic engagement, while supporting local businesses with vital advertising and visibility, roles many local newspapers nationwide can no longer fill. Not counting classifieds, the Courier published advertising from 250 local businesses in 2025. And that’s going up.

Final thoughts

Overall the Courier had an excellent year, especially given our reduced staff. And after years of shrinking revenue following the pandemic, 2025 changed that dynamic, giving us a real momentum going into 2026.

We still face challenges, but the Courier’s readership made a statement this year about the value of fact-based local news. The community’s response was emphatic, creating a movement that made clear it values what we do. And for that, and everything else, I thank you and wish everyone a happy new year.