I’ve been thinking a lot about the state of journalism—national and local. And the more I look at it, the more I see the same problem everywhere: no one wants to be first unless it’s guaranteed to be a win.
I recently spoke to a local reporter at the Post and Courier about covering my coffee shop project. It’s a drive-thru concept here in Greenville with community roots, creative ambition, and a bigger vision than just lattes and bagels. But his response was: “It needs to be further along before we can cover it.”
And I get it. On paper, that makes sense. It’s not a hit yet. It’s not “newsworthy.”
But here’s the thing: local media is supposed to be about more than the hits. It’s supposed to spotlight people doing the work—especially when it’s risky, when it’s new, when it needs a little momentum.
What I’m offering isn’t just a PR story. It’s a window into the kind of grassroots rebuilding a place like Greenville says it wants.
But local journalism? It’s started acting like venture capital. It waits to see if the thing’s going to blow up before investing attention.
That’s a problem. And it’s not just local. It’s systemic.
What Happened to News as a Public Good?
The national media landscape is a wreck:
- Paywalls that show you three paragraphs and a tote bag
- Copy-paste reporting with zero original voice
- Opinion pieces masquerading as “balanced” because they avoid naming harm
- Newsrooms gutted by ownership more interested in ad metrics than truth
And the local outlets? Instead of digging in and getting weirder, truer, braver—they’re running AP stories, affiliate deals, listicles, and repackaged tweets.
Greenville Online looks like a coupon circular trying to cosplay as a newsroom. Everything is urgent, forgettable, and eerily devoid of soul.
And when they do cover something, it’s almost always after it’s safe. After a ribbon is cut. After a funding round. After the story’s already halfway over.
The Core Problem: Journalism Doesn’t Want to Lead Anymore
They want to reflect. To follow. To be “balanced.” To avoid risk.
But the right has already branded them as leftist. They lost the PR war a decade ago. The idea that you can report “neutrally” and not get attacked is a fantasy. So what are they protecting, exactly?
Meanwhile:
- Talk radio dominates rural America with biased fire.
- Fox News has weaponized media into identity.
- Podcast grifters rake in millions selling certainty to people desperate for meaning.
And the mainstream outlets? They whisper. They hedge. They write stories designed not to be tweeted.
We need journalism that gives a damn.
We need local outlets that aren’t afraid to be first, even if the story’s still in progress.
So What Do We Do?
We stop pretending journalism is neutral. It’s not. It’s a tool. And like all tools, it can build or destroy.
We stop covering only what’s already “newsworthy.” We shine light on what could be. That’s what community reporting should do.
We create alternative models:
- Nonprofit local news co-ops
- Reader-owned journalism platforms
- Patron-backed reporting that values depth over speed
And we push back when reporters act like they’re gatekeepers instead of guides.
Dear local news: we don’t need puff pieces. We need courage.
We need journalists willing to cover the weird, the early, the risky. We need writers who will say, “This isn’t big yet—but maybe it should be.”
The best stories don’t come prepackaged. They come from people doing something real.
Don’t wait until it’s safe.
Say something while it still matters.
Frank M. Anderson's Writing 
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