Local NExT Lab
Partnering with newsrooms to test their ideas and share insights industry-wide.
Partnering with newsrooms to test their ideas and share insights industry-wide.
Bridging academic research and newsroom practice through experimental methods.
A/B testing, field experiments, and surveys to validate what truly engages audiences.
Testing innovations in actual newsroom settings for real-world impact.
Translating research into practical recommendations newsrooms can implement immediately.
Openly sharing findings so all local newsrooms benefit from what we learn.
Active research initiatives testing innovations in local journalism.
Description of current project. What are you testing? Which newsrooms are involved? What questions are you trying to answer?
Description of current project. What are you testing? Which newsrooms are involved? What questions are you trying to answer?
Local newsrooms and organizations we work with to test innovations and strengthen journalism.
Brief description of partnership and what you're working on together.
Brief description of partnership and what you're working on together.
Brief description of partnership and what you're working on together.
The researchers, students, and collaborators making this work possible.
Role/Title
Brief bio and what they're working on in the lab.
Role/Title
Brief bio and what they're working on in the lab.
Interested in partnering with the Local NExT Lab to test innovations at your newsroom?
We're always looking for newsroom partners interested in testing new approaches to audience engagement, content strategy, or business models. Our partnerships are collaborative—we work together to design experiments that answer your questions while advancing knowledge for the industry.
Graduate students and researchers interested in local news, journalism innovation, or experimental methods can get involved through research assistantships, collaborations, or project-based work.
Key insights from our recent experiments and research.
Summary of what you tested, what you found, and what it means for newsrooms. Include practical takeaways.
Summary of what you tested, what you found, and what it means for newsrooms. Include practical takeaways.
A searchable database of academic research on local news to help policymakers and journalists access evidence supporting local journalism initiatives.
Decades of research demonstrate local journalism's civic importance, but evidence is scattered across journals and paywalls. The Hub makes this research accessible.
Peer-reviewed research on local news effects across multiple dimensions:
In development. Will launch with comprehensive coverage of local news research, with ongoing updates.