Small newsrooms are continuing to make progress in their efforts to become sustainable amid growing AI useage.
The finding comes from a Local & Independent News Association (LINA) annual membership survey, which covered 77 publishers operating 139 news services; 27% of them run multiple newsrooms or mastheads.
The survey found 34% of publishers who responded say the future is uncertain or at risk, while 44% say their newsrooms are making progress.
Sustainability, including revenue and staff numbers, improved this year compared to previous years as more publishers identified their newsrooms as being in phases of business growth or maturity.
LINA Executive Director Claire Stuchbery says the respondents represent a new cohort of the media industry, with the median age of these organisations being nine years (founded in 2016).
“We refer to these grassroots organisations as the ‘green shoots’ of the news industry,” she says.
“They emerged, many during COVID lockdowns, and expanded in response to broader industry contractions and closures.
“These newsrooms play a vital role in combatting misinformation and disinformation, representing diverse and regional voices, and supporting social cohesion and community resilience.”
She also announced the launch of news services in areas with no local coverage through their Newsroom Starter Kit, as well as direct assistance from them.
“This helps ease the pathway for individuals and community groups to provide high-quality public interest journalism,” Stuchbery says.
AI IN USE
While Artificial Intelligence is reshaping larger newsrooms, the survey’s findings revealed some hesitation among publishers to adopt them as the risks and existential threats to the industry overall start to emerge.
The survey says 51% of respondents use AI to drive their news organisations efficiently.
The top use of AI within these organisations was for ‘limited editorial support’, such as search engine optimisation, copy-editing or headline suggestions, followed by administrative tasks.
“These survey findings largely reflect the experiences of smaller, newer independent publishers, who shoulder many challenges unique to their organisation’s size and resourcing, but who also grapple with sector-wide pressures felt across the media landscape,” Stuchbery said.
“A common thread that emerged from many responses is that despite pressures, independent newsrooms persist, innovate and achieve milestones that demonstrate their resilience and enduring value.
“While there is no doubt that running a small newsroom is exceptionally difficult in today’s information environment, the growth in newsletter subscriptions and website traffic reinforces a desire for relevant and reliable news content,” she says.
“This survey speaks to the number of stories being published that would otherwise remain untold.”
OTHER FINDINGS
• Of the publishers using AI at all, less than a quarter says AI is used for content generation.
• The average news organisation has two full-time equivalent paid employees, two volunteers and two paid freelancers.
• Almost a third of the news organisations (31%) hired more staff in 2024-25.
• Full-time staff numbers grew from 1.2 in FY2023 to 1.7 in FY2024 and 2.0 in FY2025 for 24 news organisations surveyed across all three years.
• The top source of revenue was advertising, with a median revenue in FY2025 of $298,000.
Click here to read the full report.
LINA is a non-profit national industry association representing 170+ digital, local and independent newsrooms.
For more about them, click here to visit their website.
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