Forget the fads: Why community listening is the future of local news (Q&A with RJI)

RJI is a Reception Sponsor of the 2026 Independent News Sustainability Summit. LION is featuring some Summit sponsors in Q&As to help members learn more about their work. Find out how to become a Summit sponsor.

Hayley Milloy, LION Publishers: We’ve had the privilege of interviewing you each year for the past two years (2024/2025) about how RJI supports small newsrooms and community-centered journalists. Over that time, your Fellows and program participants have built dozens of innovative tools and resources that are freely available to the public. Are there any projects that particularly stand out to you? Why?

Kat Duncan, RJI: Monica Williams’ Grants for Journalists already has a global audience who are clamoring for more opportunities. We knew it would be impactful, but the overwhelming response has really highlighted how finding diversified funding for newsrooms and journalists is increasingly difficult, and vital, right now. You can follow the LinkedIn page here.

And with the continued growth of independent newsrooms across the country, we’ve seen the huge impact of Powering News already, which was built by Tara Francis Chan. Journalists are eager to find more equitable and supportive ways to not only serve their communities, but build better newsrooms! 

And there’s Luz, our AI-powered chatbot built with El Colectivo. We are very transparent about how we built this tool, because there are a lot of strong feelings about AI right now. Luz is a tool to help journalists fine-tune their solutions journalism story pitches, and was built using only original solutions journalism training materials from El Colectivo. She does not hallucinate or create content. She is your friendly SoJo sloth tutor, and already being utilized by people in 52 countries! We’ve heard from professors, journalists, solutions journalism trainers, newsrooms, and journalists. My favorite feedback is when people who don’t really like or trust AI, love using this tool. I think she is a great example of building with AI responsibly, and in a way that genuinely helps journalists.

Hayley: You’ve also emphasized the importance of community listening and letting it guide newsrooms’ work. Do you have an example (ideally low-lift and replicable!) of how community listening led to greater impact, engagement, and maybe even revenue, for one of your Fellows or program participants?

Kat: So many! We recently published 12 of the projects that were a result of our last community-centered symposium, and they almost all involved listening to the community first. One example is how The Bridge (Riverwise) decided to move forward after listening to young people in their community. Not only did they listen to local students, but they let them take over their newsletter! It was enriching in so many ways, from building media literacy and relationships with younger generations, to better understanding their needs and creating a product that truly serves them. 

Another project that is very replicable is one currently underway by one of our Rural Revenue Transformation Workshop participants. They took historical archive photos of their community, turned them into postcards, and sent them out to people who used to be subscribers in an effort to rebuild those relationships. Whether it was the thoughtful physical outreach, or the reminder that they have been a part of the community for a long time, or a combination of both – it’s working. They’ve gotten some subscribers back. 

I think it’s a great reminder that a personal and direct touch can go a long way to help people feel connected. And that you probably already have the resources for a new revenue and/or engagement strategy in your newsroom! You don’t have to build something completely new to innovate and find ways to reach your community.

Hayley: Tell me a little more about the Rural Revenue Transformation Workshop (loved seeing that several LIONs attended!). What inspired you to focus specifically on newsrooms serving rural communities? What’s one actionable takeaway from the program for LION members?

Kat: As you mentioned, I’m a big believer in listening first. I try to embody that belief by building all our programs and tools after listening to journalists’ needs to find the gaps or challenges that aren’t being addressed yet. 

I heard, repeatedly, from rural newsrooms that the typical journalism conference is not very useful to them for revenue ideas because the strategies and suggestions from a lot of sessions don’t work for them. TikTok channels? Nope. Galas as revenue drivers? Nope. Subscriptions as sustainability? Nope. Their communities are often smaller, lower income, geographically dispersed, and sometimes don’t have broadband. So how do we help them serve these communities, and become sustainable, when what may work for other newsrooms doesn’t work for them? That’s the question the workshop was built out of. 

I aimed to help rural news leaders build a support network of, as one attendee put it, “their people,” to help them experiment with ideas that will work for them and to find new opportunities for innovation that apply specifically to their needs and communities. We got a lot of positive feedback, and I’m excited to see the projects that are being launched as a result of the experience. 

As an actionable takeaway… I’d say ignore the fads, and meet your community where they are. It doesn’t matter what the current trends are – what matters is what actually works for the people you’re serving. That may be zines, or newsletters, or tons of in-person events. It may be radical collaboration with other community leaders, or participatory journalism. Only you have the ability to listen to your community and know what they need, and then meet that need.

Hayley: Speaking of new programs, anything new on the horizon you’d like to preview for us?

Kat: You know I’m always building something new! In November, the News Founders Workshop will be focusing on the needs of news leaders who are ready to find the next steps for their organization and themselves. We have so many news leaders who have built and led amazing newsrooms in the last ten years, and are now ready to pass the torch. This workshop will help them work on succession planning, transitioning, financial readiness, and more. I’m really excited about this workshop; we have an amazing slate of session leaders who are going to share their wisdom and lived experience.

Hayley: Is your newsletter still the best way for LION members and others to learn more about RJI Innovation’s offerings?

Kat: Yes, our monthly newsletter is still thriving. You can also find us on Instagram, or follow me on LinkedIn. I try to share our opportunities across all three of these spaces, to meet journalists wherever they prefer to be. Last year at NAHJ, a journalist stepped out of an elevator, saw me, and yelled, “I follow you on LinkedIn!” And at CJS this year, someone told me they felt they knew me because they subscribe to the newsletter. I know people prefer to connect with us in different ways, and I try to have as many touchpoints as I have the bandwidth to update. If we’re missing you, feel free to tell me where, and how!