LOCAL NEWS DAY SURPASSES 1,000 PARTICIPATING NEWSROOMS NATIONWIDE

1000+ newsrooms join the national day of action. Newsroom sign-up deadline March 26.

HELENA, Mont., March 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Local News Day, a nationwide initiative celebrating the essential role of trusted local news, has reached a major milestone: more than 1,000 newsrooms across the United States have signed on to participate in the inaugural event on April 9.

Local News Day invites Americans to seek out and support the local newsrooms covering the issues that affect their daily lives. The day of action centers on a simple message: Start Local.

The 1,000+ newsrooms participating in Local News Day include local newspapers, nonprofit news organizations, digital outlets, and community groups working together to highlight the role local news plays in keeping communities informed and connected.

"Reaching 1,000 participating newsrooms shows how much momentum is building around the idea that communities benefit when people start local," said Dale Anglin, executive director of Press Forward, a Local News Day sponsor. "Across the country, communities are stepping forward to celebrate the role local reporting plays in helping people understand what's actually happening around them."

The initiative is supported by a coalition of journalism organizations, community leaders, and partners working to strengthen the local news ecosystem. Sponsors such as BlueLena and state press associations have helped recruit newsrooms nationwide, while local collaborations continue to build momentum in states across the country.

In North Carolina, nonprofit news organization NC Local has mobilized about 40 newsrooms across the state to participate, demonstrating how regional networks can help amplify the effort and deepen community engagement. The North Carolina initiative includes "NC News Cafes" in 15 locations across the state as well as Local News Day proclamations submitted to more than 20 local governments.

"We've seen incredible energy from newsrooms around the country that want to connect more deeply with their communities. Local News Day is a perfect moment to celebrate that relationship," said Daniel Williams, founder and CEO of BlueLena.

On April 9, participating newsrooms will mark Local News Day by highlighting their reporting, engaging with readers, and sharing the stories shaping their communities.

Participating newsrooms will be featured in the Local News Finder, which will help people discover trustworthy sources of local reporting in their communities.

Find more information at LocalNewsDay.org. 

Contact:
Emilia Gledhill
Guarisco Group LLC
678-592-3902
[email protected]

SOURCE Montana Free Press