The Ohio Newsroom is Increasing Access to Local News with Philanthropic Support

The Ohio Newsroom collaborates with multiple public media organizations to deliver local news across the state. An outstanding 95% of Ohioans live within range of a public radio signal, making The Ohio Newsroom, with its free news coverage, a highly accessible form of news media. This innovative setup taps into the strengths of journalists and newsrooms across Ohio, creating a collaborative network sharing news, talent, and resources to connect and inform Ohioans. The Ohio Newsroom is fueled by four flagship stations – Cincinnati Public Radio, Ideastream Public Media, WYSO and WOSU. The initiative has continued to grow and add stations since its first story aired in 2023.

The James W. and Anne H.S. Nethercott Public Media and Responsible Journalism Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation has granted The Ohio Newsroom $50,000 in startup funds to support vital news coverage, especially for communities living in news deserts. Since 2005, Ohio has lost half of its newsrooms, including 30 newspapers between 2022 and 2023. The loss of local news coverage has hit rural and suburban populations the hardest.

“Every week we learn about a newspaper or a weekly periodical that has been covering a town or region in Ohio for 100 years either downsizing or disappearing completely,” said Conrad Thiede, director of major & planned Gifts at Cincinnati Public Radio.

Local journalism is an important driver in civic participation, keeping the public informed on their local schools, businesses, governments, arts and culture, and politics. Without these connective threads, studies show that fewer people engage in civic and political life – resulting in a less informed citizenry, a smaller number of active voters, scaled-back participation in local schools and clubs, and increased misinformation. Our democracy is also at risk, with less reporting and oversight on local boards and government, raising the risk of inefficiency and abuse.

With so much at stake, initiatives like The Ohio Newsroom breathe fresh life into our news ecosystem, providing fact-based, expert coverage. The small, but mighty newsroom has two on-staff reporters, Erin Gottsacker and Kendall Crawford, that cover the entire state of Ohio. Both reporters hail from public radio stations with a wealth of experience in covering stories that span from rural to urban populations.

“We really get to dive in deeper and go to those places where the stories are,” shared Kendall. “I wasn’t anticipating being introduced to so many new communities I’ve never been to. We have a map with a bunch of pins in it and we’ve hit around 50 counties so far.”

For Erin, her love for The Ohio Newsroom’s mission is a key driver in her work:
“I really believe in public radio and having information that is accessible to everyone, that is truly accurate and interesting. Our slogan is ‘connecting news and neighbors from all over Ohio.’ It’s fun to meet so many people and hear what they’re passionate about. Plus, we get to work with stations all over the state. I think forming those connections and working with different reporters and editors, with the ability to share resources is a really good thing for our state. I think we can be siloed as newsrooms, but what we get to do is the opposite of that.”

As Erin and Kendall’s breadth and depth of stories continue to expand, listeners have the privilege of hearing human interest stories that span well beyond the scope of breaking news media. The pair has covered topics such as Ohio fiddlers keeping music traditions alive; the power of poetry workshops at men’s shelters; how immigration is changing small cities; the decline in rural access to professional dental offices, and so much more.

Another differentiator for The Ohio Newsroom and many nonprofit media organizations is the ability to cover topics over time, providing more context, reporting, follow-ups, and most importantly, solutions to large-scale, complex issues. It’s this assets-based approach that makes organizations like The Ohio Newsroom especially aligned with Greater Cincinnati Foundation’s work to create a thriving region where everyone has a fair opportunity to thrive.

If you’d like to join us in supporting The Ohio Newsroom, make a gift to Cincinnati Public Radio using your donor advised fund at Greater Cincinnati Foundation and earmark The Ohio Newsroom or visit Cincinnati Public Radio directly at cinradio.org/support-us.