By Nick Sanchez, Syndication Director, RealClearFoundation
September 29, 2020
While all news outlets have been affected by the Internet’s disruption of traditional revenue sources, local news outlets have been hit especially hard.
Between 2004 and 2018, the number of local newspapers countrywide declined by over 20 percent, from almost 9,000 to 7,100. And if you subscribe to your local paper, you have likely seen its contents shrink dramatically from what they used to be.
RealClearFoundation (RCF), a nonprofit working in partnership with RealClearPolitics, is doing its part to help local outlets serve their communities—through the introduction of RealClearWire, a new nonprofit syndication service.
Launched in 2020, RealClearWire makes a wealth of original news, investigative reporting, and commentary available for republication, for free.
RCP reporters Susan Crabtree and Phil Wegmann, for example, put their access to Congress and the White House in the service of news outlets everywhere. So, too, local outlets can republish long-form investigative journalism by RealClearInvestigations, as well as news, analysis, and editorials published across the RealClear family of sites, from Policy and Markets to Energy and Education.
RealClearWire is thrilled to have begun a syndication partnership with TownNews, one of the largest news organizations in the country. TownNews powers over 2,000 publications, from Alaska to the Carolinas.
Local news outlets play a pivotal role in our democracy; they often enjoy strong levels of trust in their communities and help foster civic participation. We are honored by the trust that they have placed in RealClear.
When local outlets republish content from RealClearWire, RCF receives no monetary compensation. Rather, we are fulfilling our nonprofit mission—a mission that we invite you to support.
Please consider making a donation to advance the work of RealClearWire and the other activities of the RealClearFoundation.