For now, this is just a stack of bookmarks to stories about news deserts, “fake local” propaganda-for-profit sites, and small local sites to explore. I created this as a “page” in October 2020, then six months later had forgotten all about it and, out of frustration with layoffs at my local daily, went looking for alternatives and wrote a more streamlined blog post listing local Southwestern Virginia newspapers and sites with public information.
Back to October: Sorry that it is a bit of a jumble… I’m composing this with a new WordPress Android app and insertion of links in paragraphs is not what it used to be. Eventually I’ll open it on a full-size computer and do some editing.
… inspired by a New York Times story this week, late October 2020. I’d like to add some more about my area in Southwestern Virginia, which I have been writing about on Facebook but not in this blog.
As Local News Dies, a Pay-for-Play Network Rises in Its Place https://nyti.ms/349RruY
Here Are the Hundreds of Sites in a Pay-to-Play Local News Network https://nyti.ms/3m7NTQ6
Hundreds of hyperpartisan sites are masquerading as local news. This map shows if there’s one near you.
October 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/19/locality-labs-fake-news-local-sites-newspapers
Virginia and West Virginia smaller news sites & chains
Ashley Spinks on local coverage: https://swvatoday.com/floyd/article_4e30beb0-096c-11eb-995a-430326bedf4c.html (Sadly, this story led to public radio interviewing Ashley about the trials and tribulations of editing a small local paper for a national chain. She was so candid in the interview that she was fired.)
Mountain Media, W.V. & SwVa.
https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Mountain-Media,-LLC/about?from=acme-wonder
OurValley.org (SW Virginia papers owned by Mountain Media, WV.)
June 4, 2020, closing of WV Daily News, according to Mountain Messenger
New version (new ownership & staff?) West Virginia Daily News – wvdn.com
Older version of WVDN at the Way Back Machine.
Non-profit news from Richmond
Progressive Chain, Acronym-linked
SwVirginia papers…
Lee Newspapers non-dailies https://swvatoday.com/
The shrinking Lee-owned Roanoke Times, Roanoke.com
And the Independence Declaration
Competition in Pulaski County
https://www.southwesttimes.com/
Virginian Leader, Giles County
Regional blogs
Email and Web Publishing sites
Floyd Forum, by Ashley Spinks Dugan
College papers
http://www.rutartan.com/wordpress/
