What The Houston Landing’s closure says about the state of nonprofit news
On Tuesday, the for-profit Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, reported it would convert to a nonprofit. Hours later, the nonprofit Houston Landing had its own announcement: It would shut down after less than two years of operation.
The diverging announcements reiterated a central truth in the news business — nonprofit status is not a silver bullet. It is not a substitute for a sustainable business model, and it will not shield outlets from the escalating financial pressures that have roiled the media industry for decades.
Related stories
Related Knowledge Center: State of the business model
The traditional journalism business model has long since collapsed, and news organizations have shrunk or disappeared entirely. While a number of promising experiments are under way, the public has not shown a willingness to buy what news organizations are selling.
Related Knowledge Center: Local media
The hollowing out of the local news ecosystem has been well documented; in some communities, efforts are underway to reverse the growing news desert.