While erratic Truth Social posts from across the pond are raising eyebrows and petrol prices in the UK, when it comes to local news, the Colonials are definitely doing something right.
Today, newsrooms and community leaders across the United States are celebrating the first annual US Local News Day. The familiar-sounding initiative (I wonder where they got that idea from) is designed to connect communities with their trusted local journalists.
The campaign offers an important reminder of the essential role local news plays in communities all around the world, including here in the UK.
US Local News Day has been launched as an annual “day of action”, bringing together journalists, organisations and the public to celebrate and support local reporting. The campaign was founded by Montana Free Press in partnership with a broad range of supporters and collaborators including Press Forward, BlueLena, Google and Wordpress.com.
Inspired by global movements like Giving Tuesday, the organisers hope to help people reconnect with local news, support struggling newsrooms and build a sustainable future for journalism. Participants are encouraged to take simple but meaningful actions, from subscribing to their local paper to sharing stories online or attending community events.
The initiative comes at a critical time for local news. Despite strong public trust in local journalism across the US, many communities struggle to access in-depth, accountable reporting. Local newsrooms face similar challenges to those in the UK, grappling with declining revenues in the face of big tech greed. In 2025, the Medill State of Local News report found that an all-time high of 50 million Americans are living in news deserts.
US Local News Day is designed to counter these trends by demonstrating why local journalism matters. For news organisations, the initiative offers a chance to show off their work, reach new audiences and build sustainable support. Participating outlets receive resources and national visibility, helping them grow subscriptions and strengthen their connections with readers.
It’s really inspiring to see such a broad coalition of supporters - including nonprofits, tech companies, local businesses and national news brands - working together towards one shared goal for US Local News Day: ensuring that local journalism can continue to serve communities for generations to come.
In a time of global uncertainty and rapid technological change, the need for accurate, trustworthy local reporting has never been greater, wherever you are in the world.
Want to celebrate in the UK? Good news - we have a whole week for that! Indie News Week will be taking place across all four nations of the UK from Monday 15th - Sunday 21st June.
Now in its third year, Indie News Week is a national celebration of the independent news strengthening democracy, holding power to account, creating pride in place and fostering civic participation.
The campaign is an opportunity to promote indie news and fundraise with all the momentum and awareness that our national campaign will provide.
If you’re an independent news outlet and you’d like to sign up for Indie News Week, you can do so right now. It’s your chance to reach out to local people, bring communities behind the scenes and demonstrate the impact that you’re making locally.
If you’re a business, nonprofit, local government official or charity and you’d like to find out how you could stand up for local news and help strengthen your community this Indie News Week, please get in touch.
I’ll be sharing all the exciting events we have planned around the country in the run up to Indie News Week here and in our newsletter, so sign up now to be the first to hear!
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