Thank you for joining The Lenfest Institute’s effort to advance innovation in local news, to catalyze experimentation, and to invest in the next generation of local news.
10.03.2026 15:19
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Thank you for joining The Lenfest Institute’s effort to advance innovation in local news, to catalyze experimentation, and to invest in the next generation of local news.
In 2025 we committed $13.6 million in grants and connected with more than 4,000 individuals and news organizations through our communities of practice to help independent local news meet the moment.
Today, we’re pleased to share The Lenfest Institute’s 2025 Impact Report, including updates on our work on the use of AI to help local news, our investments in news creators reaching new audiences, and our enduring commitment to support the digital transformation of America’s local newspapers.
When treated as living infrastructure rather than a one-time deliverable, news ecosystem research can guide your strategy for years to come. The Knight Communities Network created a guide to conducting more actionable research as part of its “Building a Thriving News Ecosystem” series:
We're so excited to welcome 10 news creators to the Project C Creator Cohort at #ONA26 in partnership with Project C and @journalists.org! This year's cohort includes hyperlocal creators whose focus centers on building community relationships & doing the kind of reporting that often goes uncovered.
If an AI assistant could build one solution for anything in your news business, what would it be?
More than a third of newspaper execs we surveyed with Blue Engine Collaborative described an AI solution focused on sales, whether it's for ad targeting, automated proposals, CRM tools, or beyond.
The Inquirer's AI innovation is supported by the Lenfest AI Collaborative and Fellowship in partnership with OpenAI and Microsoft. Since launching four new AI-enhanced newsletters, The Inquirer has gained 50,000 free subscribers with the goal of driving paid subscriptions in the future.
Can AI save local news? @wsj.com reported how @inquirer.com is expanding its coverage with the help of AI by scanning community meetings in suburban areas for topics that may prompt follow-up from a journalist, such as zoning for an ICE detention facility or a proposal for a new data center.
Calling all Pennsylvania newsrooms: There's still time to submit a proposal to the Big Idea Competition! If you've got big, testable ideas that address revenue generation, policies to support journalism, ecosystem mapping, or community engagement, the Keystone News Summit wants to hear from you ⬇️
Finding the right story to tell about your org takes time, but it’s worth the effort. The Lenfest Institute’s Knight Communities Network has been working to help publishers make the case for local news — and we’re sharing what we learned + templates to help you strengthen your own messaging ⬇️
2/ The Standard joins the Lenfest AI Collaborative and Fellowship, a collective of 10 news orgs exploring how AI can drive better business and news outcomes. Each outlet in the Collaborative embeds AI engineers and receives support from OpenAI and Microsoft www.lenfestinstitute.org/institute-ne...
1/ Today, we’re announcing a $150K grant to @sfstandard.com to develop an AI-powered news app that reimagines how audiences interact with local information, moving beyond static articles and allowing readers to engage with local reporting in real time. www.lenfestinstitute.org/institute-ne...
If you’re at #KMF26, join us in the Brickell Ballroom at 1 p.m. tomorrow to learn about the Lenfest AI Collaborative & Fellowship Program in partnership with OpenAI and Microsoft. The showcase covers innovative AI use at 6 newsrooms, including @seattletimes.com, Chicago Public Media, & @inquirer.com
If you’re at #KMF26, join us in the Brickell Ballroom at 1 p.m. tomorrow to learn about the Lenfest AI Collaborative & Fellowship Program in partnership with OpenAI and Microsoft. The showcase covers innovative AI use at 6 newsrooms, including @seattletimes.com, Chicago Public Media, & @inquirer.com
Four teams of Philadelphia-based news orgs and news-focused content creators will receive funding, mentorship, learning sessions, and access to Lenfest Expert Network advisors. This effort is part of a broader $1 million investment to strengthen collaboration between publishers and creators.
We’re pleased to announce the participants for the 2026 Philadelphia Media Founders Exchange News Creators Network, which builds partnerships between independent news creators and local news organizations. Please join us in welcoming the fellows 🎉
After year-end giving wraps up, many fundraisers wonder: How can we set the stage for deeper engagement over time? That's why the Lenfest News Philanthropy Network is hosting a free a workshop on practical ways to steward first-time and one-time donors. Register now and join us Feb. 12:
Leaders from across the industry met at the Summit, hosted by The Lenfest Institute & @aspendigital.bsky.social, to discuss the changing nature of information access, the role of the public in documenting events, and the growing influence of AI. Here’s how they’re imagining a path forward:
Threats to Constitutional protections + powerful business and technological changes represent both opportunity and existential risk to local news. It remains to be seen whether we will be able to meet the moment. But at the Local News Summit, attendees were in agreement: Our work must evolve.
Recent events in Minneapolis underscore the need for independent local journalism, writes @dicktofel.bsky.social. At the Lenfest-Aspen Local News Summit, leaders tackled urgent questions on AI, next gen audiences, and First Amendment threats as our industry — and country — faces a turning point.
We're announcing a $25,000 matching grant in support of @startribune.com’s Local News Fund.
The world is watching Minneapolis, and local journalists are working tirelessly to keep their neighbors informed and hold power to account. Please join us in supporting their work.
Photo of a podium at the 2026 Local Journalism Summit.
And we’re off! Excited to kick off our annual Local News Summit in San Antonio with @lenfestinstitute.org.
Leaders across media, philanthropy & tech will collaborate on solutions to sustain independent, high-quality local journalism.
Last year’s reflections 👇 www.aspendigital.org/blog/urgent-...
As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s closure looms, @inquirer.com’s business strategy serves as a model to replicate, writes Publisher Elizabeth Hughes: “[H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest’s] donation allowed The Inquirer to modernize & transform from a legacy print shop to a modern multiplatform news organization.”
Spanning the country from Alaska to Pennsylvania, the 11 selected newspapers cover a broad spectrum of the U.S. media landscape. The results of their experiments will inform the Beyond Print Toolkit, which provides comprehensive on-demand guidance on transitioning from print to digital.
Logos of the 11 grantees for the Beyond Print grants
🎉 The Beyond Print program is awarding $400K in grants to support business transformation at 11 independent local newspapers nationwide. Funding supports experiments to reduce print reliance, grow digital revenue & reach younger audiences.
Successful fundraising efforts rely on identifying your biggest opportunities & prioritizing them accordingly. The Lenfest News Philanthropy Network is hosting a workshop on Jan. 29 with Rebecca Forman, chief development officer at Report Local. Join us for practical donor screening strategies ⬇️
“To save, reinvent, or perhaps replace the Post-Gazette, it is instructive to look at recent local news investment in Philadelphia and Baltimore.” After the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announced its plans to close, @jimfriedlich.bsky.social explores paths forward for the city in an @inquirer.com op-ed.
Amid growing challenges with third-party platforms, newsrooms are prioritizing direct, reliable connections with their audiences. To explore new ways to engage readers, we’re partnering with SMS platform Subtext to conduct a pilot program at six Statewide News Collective newsrooms ⬇️
Calling all Philadelphians: We’ve got a new tool to help you stay up to date on the city policies that matter to you most. Every Voice, Every Vote just launched the Solutions Progress Report, a one-stop shop to help you track various initiatives launched by city government to address key issues ⬇️
Cheers to 2025! Join the Lenfest Communities of Practice on Dec. 16 at 1 p.m. EST / 10 a.m. PST for a year-end celebration. We’ll reflect on the year, share wins and surprises, and peek at what’s ahead for our communities in 2026.
Members of all Lenfest communities are invited to join.