Exploring the intersection of public policy and local news
This article is part of RJI Impact, a series documenting how RJI projects are making a real difference for newsrooms and audiences all over the country. It was originally published in the Winter 2026 edition of RJI Insight, RJI’s biannual print magazine.
As more people argue that local news is a public good, conversations about sustaining it have moved into statehouses. Across the country, lawmakers are testing new ideas to support local journalism through legislation, but tracking those efforts has been scattered and difficult.
To change that, the Reynolds Journalism Institute launched a state-level Legislative Tracker in 2025. Compiled by Missouri School of Journalism Associate Professor Jared Schroeder and graduate student researchers at Mizzou, the searchable database offers a transparent view of how public policy might strengthen and protect local news.
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