Document Type
Data
Publication Date
Summer 8-7-2025
Version
Other: (please specify below)
Other Version(s)
replication data for submission manuscript
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a CC BY License.
Disciplines
Communication | Journalism Studies | Mass Communication | Organizational Communication
Abstract
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Nonprofit news outlets have emerged as potential solutions to the market failure of for-profit journalism, particularly in local news "deserts." However, it is unclear whether digital-first nonprofit news outlets themselves are articulating their distinct value proposition to a wider public. Using an original dataset of 336 nonprofit news outlets across 45 states and Washington, D.C., we analyzed digital-first news nonprofit websites to assess public communication strategies across different geographic scopes (local, state/regional, national/international) and coverage types (investigative, explanatory/analysis, news and events). We specifically assess the presence of impact statements, evidence of financial transparency (via US tax form, 990), and diversity statements. We find that geographic scope is the strongest predictor of communication differences and that news nonprofits do not differ meaningfully based on whether they are in Republican or Democrat-majority states. We reveal a concerning gap: local nonprofit news outlets—often viewed as solutions to journalism's market failure—struggle most to communicate their public value, potentially undermining their sustainability and effectiveness in serving communities.
Digital USD Citation
Usher, Nik, "Nonprofit News Public Communication Data" (2025). Communication: Faculty Scholarship. 25.
https://digital.sandiego.edu/commstudies_facpub/25
Included in
Journalism Studies Commons, Mass Communication Commons, Organizational Communication Commons
Notes
Please note that this article is currently under review.