This article has been updated since it first appeared in print.
Local news coverage ain’t what it used to be. Long gone are the days when most cities had two daily newspapers, one that landed on doorsteps in the morning, and one in the afternoon.
A 2020 report from the University of North Carolina’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media found that since 2005, a quarter of the nation’s newspapers have ceased publication, and half of all employed journalists have left the business. The result: so-called “news deserts,” towns that have no local publications, and “ghost newspapers” so lacking in staff that they can’t report on essential community news.
Richmond isn’t immune to this new reality. The Richmond Times-Dispatch has lost dozens of journalists in the past year, many to layoffs while others left for other jobs, unwilling to wait for their turn on the chopping block. Last September, Style Weekly was shuttered by its owner, Alden Global Capital, after publishing for 39 years. Though VPM Media Corp. relaunched the property online in November, its small staff now focuses on arts, culture and food rather than hard news … except for a blistering June 7 report on the RTD’s decline.
At the same time, online news sites are proliferating, providing a home for veteran journalists who know the territory, as well as recent graduates who are happy to find work. Locally, a bevy of news sites — the Virginia Mercury, the Henrico Citizen (which began as a print publication), RICToday and Axios Richmond — seek to fill gaps in coverage.
“When one thing goes away, something rises to take its place,” says Mallory Perryman, assistant professor of broadcast journalism in the Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture at Virginia Commonwealth University. “We keep hearing about how local news is in crisis. It is, but it’s also transforming.”
(From left) Chris Krewson of LION, VCU’s Mallory Perryman and Kristen Hare of the Poynter Institute
A Transformational Change
Understanding the various online news sites can be a challenge. “They don’t have a lot of things in common besides being local,” Perryman says, noting that some, like the Virginia Mercury, are nonprofits that rely on donations, while others seek corporate funding. For example, Axios has corporate investors — among them NBC, Cox Enterprises and Glade Brook Capital. “One common theme among all of them,” Perryman adds, “is to talk about filling a gap in local reporting. They don’t exist to be a one-stop shop for news. They are there to fill in the things they see as missing.”
Kristen Hare, who serves on the local journalism faculty of the Poynter Institute, a journalism research and training organization, agrees that the American news landscape is undergoing transformational change.
“These online newsrooms aren’t trying to be the newspaper, they’re not trying to be everything to everyone,” Hare says. “Newspapers were that for a century, but they aren’t anymore. They’re a quarter of the size, but the communities aren’t a quarter of the size, and we don’t have three-quarters less news.”
Earlier in her career, Hare worked for an online news site in St. Louis and says it was “one of the best newsrooms I’ve worked in.” But, she notes, the medium itself matters, as there’s a difference between scanning a printed page versus reading your news on a screen with embedded hyperlinks.
“People’s media habits are formed young,” she says. “Younger people may not be habituated to read a paper or watch TV. What I think is interesting is how different models work in different places.”
Hare points to Outlier Media in Detroit, which uses texts to send information to consumers and respond directly to questions. The Richland Source in Mansfield, Ohio, encourages readers to share questions and then vote on the topics they most want to see covered. Those variations will continue, she predicts.
“No two cities will have the same media landscape, unlike the last century, where everyone had one or two newspapers, a TV station, radio station and, if you’re lucky, one alternative weekly,” she says. “But [the new outlets] will better reflect the communities where they’re located. It will be less like a blanket and more like a quilt.”
Covering the news has always been a business. That’s where Local Independent Online News comes in. LION’s goal is to help aspiring entrepreneurs create new digital media businesses that can fill the space left by the demise of daily newspapers. Virginia has a dozen LION members, including the Henrico Citizen, Charlottesville Tomorrow and The Triangle in Williamsburg.
LION Executive Director Chris Krewson says 50 online news publications launched every year from 2104 to 2019, and he believes the pattern continued in the last two years. “[Online news sites] are small, resilient, more diverse and representative of the communities they serve,” he says, adding that research shows people are more likely to trust local reporting than national coverage.
“We’ve always said local news is essential for civic health,” he says. “You can also make a really strong argument that local news saves lives.” As examples, Krewson points to The Atlantic magazine’s COVID Tracking Project, initiated in March 2020 to collect data in the early days of the pandemic. While the magazine is a national publication, its reporters reached out to every state and the District of Columbia asking for infection and death numbers; its charts were then referenced by the Centers for Disease Control. In California, local news media are better able to report on advancing wildfires, because they have reporters on the ground.
Fostering local news sites isn’t altruism, Krewson says.
“It’s not a journalism problem; it’s a small business problem,” he says. “If local news is a good small business, then more people will start more local news businesses. Then we can tackle other issues. What the space needs is creative entrepreneurial thinking to expand the scope of news.”
VPA Executive Director Betsy Edwards (Photo by Jay Paul)
Support for Local News
Closer to home, the Virginia Press Association, the nonprofit member organization that supports local, regional and state news, recently launched the Virginia News Reader, an online newsletter that showcases articles from around the state, many of which are available without a subscription. Additionally, the VPA created a Digital Initiative program — and added a full-time staff member — to help existing print publications build or improve their online presence.
“I don’t think I’d hire a plumber who didn’t have a website,” says VPA Executive Director Betsy Edwards. “Literally, these [outlets] are in the business of communication. It’s sort of a given you would have an active website. You used to wait until the afternoon paper came out or tuned into a radio news station or evening news on TV. You had to wait. Now, nobody wants to wait.”
Edwards agrees the news landscape is diversifying. “In some places, they know the audience would want an online product as much as a print product,” she says. “In other localities, they feel like their readers want a print edition. But that doesn’t mean they don’t want a robust online edition, too. What’s most important to me is that quality local news is available to all Virginians.”
What’s also important, these experts say, is that readers pay close attention to the news source itself, looking for an “About” page that spells out how the outlet is funded and to make sure it is a legitimate news site.
“We like to neatly categorize things, set boundaries as to what’s news and what isn’t news, but this is blurred for the audience,” VCU’s Perryman says, pointing to visible markers that can help indicate quality journalism: “Are they interviewing, do they have access, do they know who to talk to, are they following a reporting process?”
LION’s Krewson encourages readers to engage with their news providers as never before. “It’s better to hear and see video, and look at source documents yourself,” he says. “A lot of things were harder before the internet. Disruption is good and bad for everybody. We are in a messy period where structures and processes are still being worked out.”
The Poynter Institute’s Hare says we need to take a fresh view of news.
“The truth is, if you want to find something that confirms the things you believe deeply to be true, you will find it; that’s always been true,” she says. “At this point, what local [news] has protecting it is enough people who care and are paying attention. I think the goal at good online newsrooms is the same as at a good legacy print medium: to help the community.” —Paula Peters Chambers
The New News
A guide to local online media
Founded in 1982, Style Weekly became Richmond’s alternative voice for news, culture and the arts. It published its final print issue on Sept. 8, 2021, and its owner, Alden Global Capital, a New York-based hedge fund, sold the property to VPM Media Corporation, the parent company of VPM, Virginia’s home for public media, in November 2021. Today, Style lives on as a digital publication, focusing on local arts, culture and food.
“I think what sets Style apart is that it’s been a hyper-local media institution for 40 years covering news, culture, arts and opinion with conversation-starting stories that other outlets may have missed or outright avoided,” says Editor Brent Baldwin. “Much of our reputation was built by the many great journalists and editors who have worked or freelanced for the publication, and we have a solid core of readers who’ve been following Style since the early 1980s and whose support we truly value.”
Years Publishing: 40
Owner: VPM
Editor: Brent Baldwin
Employees: 2, plus freelancers
Founded in 2001 as a twice monthly print publication by editor and publisher Tom Lappas, the Henrico Citizen is now a fully digital news organization that covers Henrico County government and education, community organizations, nonprofits, arts and events. It also produces a weekday news podcast, “Henrico News Minute.”
“Our last print edition was in March 2020,” Lappas says. “We stopped because the majority of our advertisers stopped advertising because of the pandemic.”
He says the Citizen knows Henrico County better than other local media outlets. “We know people, places, communities,” Lappas says. “I've I’ve probably been in every school in the county at one point or another covering something. That matters. Stuff like that shows perspective and can help people understand not just what happened today or yesterday or what’s going on right now, but how it relates and how it connects historically and what the big picture is. We show why you should care about it.”
Years Publishing: 21
Owner: T3 Media LLC
Editor: Tom Lappas
Employees: 4
RVA Magazine focuses on culture, art, music, food and politics, and it caters to a younger audience. Formerly a free print and online publication, it stopped printing in 2020 at the start of the pandemic as revenue decreased, and it is currently a fully digital publication, though “We haven’t officially left doing print mags behind forever,” says Editor Marilyn Drew Necci.
“We have more of a street level, counterculture perspective of the city,” she says. “We’re not looking for the perspective of those in power. We are looking for the voices of movers and shakers, young people trying to do things on a cultural level ... We write for young people about what makes them excited and about those making a mark on our city. We cross over in many ways. We focus on youth and creativity.”
Years Publishing: 17
Owner: Inkwell Ventures
Editor: Marilyn Drew Necci
Employees: 1, plus freelancers
Richmond BizSense covers startups, government, development, real estate and more with a mix of free and paid premium content. A morning email sends a news roundup to subscribers’ inboxes. When it launched, Richmond was one of the few midsize metro regions that didn’t have a standalone business journal. BizSense filled the gap.
“We pride ourselves for being the business journal in Richmond,” says Editor Michael Schwartz. “Fortunately for us, since we launched there’s been a nonstop, thriving local business scene and in particular local real estate scene that’s helped us grow our audience.”
Years Publishing: 14
Owner: Aaron Kremer
Editor: Michael Schwartz
Employees: 9
The Virginia Mercury is an independent nonprofit online news organization that covers state government and policy. A member of the States Newsroom network, a national nonprofit supported by grants and donations from readers, the Mercury aims to fill some of the gaps created by a shrinking media industry. It produces a daily newsletter.
“The Mercury in its first four years has become a vital part of Virginia’s news landscape, and we are committed to continuing to report deeply on the policies and politics that shape Virginians’ lives, and to elevate the voices of those too often left out of decision-making,” Editor Sarah Vogelsong says. “At a time when many traditional news outlets are shrinking as corporate owners gut newsrooms, the Mercury is one of a wave of nonprofit news organizations nationwide experimenting with new ways to provide readers with the coverage so essential to our democracy.”
Years Publishing: 4
Owner: States Newsroom
Editor: Sarah Vogelsong
Employees: 4, plus regular commentary contributors
As the National Public Radio affiliate for Central Virginia, VPM’s website features local and national radio news, in addition to original local reporting. VPM also sends out email newsletters in its coverage areas.
“We’re looking to get to the heart of stories, beyond breaking news,” says News Director Elliott Robinson. “We know people like getting news as soon as it happens, but they also like getting context. That’s a void we are hoping to fill.”
Years publishing: 3 as VPM; 57 as WCVE
Focus: Virginia news, arts and culture
Editor: Elliott Robinson, news director
Number of Employees: 30 in the newsroom, more than 100 company-wide
Dogwood is one of eight state-based newsrooms owned and operated by Courier Newsroom, a public benefit corporation. It is supported by reader contributions, sponsors, philanthropic donations and corporate underwriting. The website features Virginia-focused stories and news highlighting public policy, health care, schools and more. A newsletter delivers the content to email inboxes.
“Our mission is to report the news and information that Virginia families need to build strong, vibrant lives,” says RC Di Mezzo, director of communications for Courier Newsroom. “We believe that in order to build strong, vibrant lives, they need good information on the policies that affect them, and the rich culture our state provides. We do not define good — or bad — policy based on which political party supports it.”
Years Publishing: 3
Owner: Courier Newsroom
Editorial Leader: Meghan McCarthy, vice president of content, and Meghin Moore, associate editor
Employees: 2, with additional support from other Courier staff
Axios Richmond is part of national online media company Axios’ push into local markets. Launched in May with a website and a free daily newsletter, Axios Richmond produces original stories on politics, business, news, real estate, sports, food and drink, and things to do around the city. Its stories are presented as quick hits broken down into easily digestible bullet points. Each newsletter includes a word count and an estimate of the time it will take to read it. Axios Richmond is written by reporters Karri Peifer, formerly of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Ned Oliver, formerly of the Virginia Mercury.
“Axios Richmond is a crucial part of Axios Local’s mission to make people smarter, faster about their hometowns,” says Editor Jamie Stockwell. ”Karri and Ned provide readers with the most consequential news happening in Richmond, and we can’t wait to see what they uncover this year.”
Years Publishing: Launched May 2022
Owner: Axios
Editor: Jamie Stockwell
Employees: 2
Virginia Scope’s website, newsletter and podcast focus on state politics, elections, campaigns, courts and laws. The reported journalism is funded by newsletter subscribers.
“What sets Virginia Scope apart is the hyper focus on state-level politics in Virginia,” says Editor Brandon Jarvis. “Also, a focus on covering elections very in-depth, from beginning to end and covering the candidates that are running. Virginia Scope has a website, but the newsletter is where all the action happens and the revenue is made.”
Years Publishing: 2
Owner: Brandon Jarvis
Editor: Brandon Jarvis
Employees: 1
RICtoday is a free daily email newsletter that launched in July 2021 and is owned by Greenville, South Carolina-based startup 6AM City, which publishes similar newsletters in two dozen cities. The content is often aggregated and highlights the “most positive, impactful news and events” with a conversational tone and participatory approach.
“Our format is a bit different,” says co-editor Robin Schwartzkopf . “Free, and every weekday morning. It’s meant to be a preview of the day. It’s a place to get all of your news and then have a variety of ways to delve deeper, whether it’s a full article to read or spend more time on our website. … Our team isn’t big enough to cover everything going on in Richmond, so we’re into aggregating and cultivating the news and presenting the wide berth of options to our readership. We leave it to other outlets to cover crime and closely following politics.”
Years Publishing: 1
Owner: 6AM City
Editorial Leaders: Robin Schwartzkopf and Katie Potter
Employees: 3
Good Morning, RVA is produced by citizen journalist Ross Catrow, founder of the website RVANews, which stopped publishing in June 2016. It is a conversational, personal newsletter where he aggregates and links to local news stories and opines on the topics with a focus on infrastructure and planning. It is also available as a podcast. Donations through a Patreon account help support Catrow’s efforts.
“I don’t consider myself a reporter, which is nice because that frees me up to do a lot of commentary,” Catrow says. “I think my primary qualification is that I’ve lived in Richmond a long time, and I’m a big fan. … My focus is Richmond city and surrounding areas to a lesser extent. Lately, it’s been a lot of statewide because for budgets and statewide politics, that’s viewed through the lens of how the budget affects Richmond and the surrounding region. Good Morning, RVA aims to be the premier zoning and rezoning email in the Richmond area.”
Focus: Zoning, infrastructure, public health and more
Owner: Ross Catrow
Editor: Ross Catrow
Employees: 1
The nonprofit Cardinal News produces in-depth, enterprise journalism with a focus on state government and social issues for Southwestern and Southside Virginia. “We are not here to cover fires and wrecks and shootings, but to connect the dots on the big trends that are shaping and re-shaping our region,” says Luanne Rife, executive director and chief development officer.
“We believe strongly that people need independent, unbiased information about their communities in order for their communities to be vibrant,” Rife says.
Years Publishing: 1
Owner: Cardinal Productions
Editor: Dwayne Yancey
Employees: 4, plus freelancers
RVAHub was founded as a continuation of RVANews, a hyperlocal news site started by Ross Catrow that stopped publishing in 2016. Catrow turned over the site’s archives to RVANews writers Trevor Dickerson and Richard Hayes, who started RVAHub to maintain a focus on neighborhood news.
“When [RVANews] shut down, we wanted to keep it going,” Dickerson says. “There’s not another publication that really does everything from citywide stories down to something that is going on your block … what makes us unique is that neighborhood focus.”
Dickerson founded the website downtownshortpump.com when he was in high school, selling it in 2012. Hayes is the founder of the Hills & Heights blog, which has become a part of RVAHub.
RVAHub divides its coverage into six areas: downtown, the Fan, West End, North Side, West of the Boulevard, and Hills & Heights.
The site is a passion project for Dickerson and Hayes, who work on it on the side and make little money from the venture. “Google and Facebook have usurped all of the ad revenue,” Dickerson says. “I used to be able to sell an ad for $500 on downtownshortpump.com, and now you’re lucky if you get the scraps of that. They are accelerating the decline of media we are seeing across the board.”
Focus: Neighborhood news
Years Publishing: 6
Owners: Trevor Dickerson and Richard Hayes
Editors: Trevor Dickerson and Richard Hayes
Employees: 2
—Dina Weinstein and Jessica Ronky Haddad
