Start local: Why Local News Day matters
A column by Kristi Hine, South Dakota News Watch board chair and editor and publisher of the True Dakotan newspaper in Wessington Springs.
Today, April 9, 2026, newsrooms and communities across the country will mark Local News Day, a national day of action celebrating the trusted local news and information that helps communities stay informed and connected.
Local News Day is built around a simple idea: Start local.
At a time when national headlines dominate our feeds, it’s easy to overlook the news taking place outside our front door. But the most important news is close to home: the decisions affecting local schools, the businesses on Main Street, the community events bringing neighbors together, and the policies shaping our towns and cities. That’s the news the True Dakotan covers every week.
Local news sources like mine operate with small staffs and tight budgets while navigating rising costs. Even with deep commitment to local coverage, it is increasingly difficult for local news media to also provide the statewide reporting our readers need and deserve.
That is where South Dakota News Watch makes an extraordinary difference.
As an independent, nonprofit organization, News Watch fills a critical gap through investigative and public service journalism that many small newsrooms simply cannot produce on their own. Their seasoned reporters uncover untold stories and shed light on issues that impact the welfare of all South Dakotans. News Watch provides reporting that strengthens civic understanding and keeps citizens informed and engaged.
Through partnerships with more than 100 media outlets across 300 communities, News Watch freely shares high-quality stories that complement our local reporting. In many rural communities like mine, this content is more than a resource, it is a vital tool in helping prevent news deserts and ensuring residents continue to have access to trustworthy information.
Local news is common ground. It’s the rare place where the story isn’t red vs. blue, it’s what’s happening right here and what it means for your family. When we share facts about our community and state, it’s easier to disagree without disconnecting.
And local news is more than headlines. It’s the information people rely on to understand their community and state and participate in civic life. It helps us stay connected and celebrate the stories that make our home unique.
That’s why South Dakota News Watch is proud to participate in Local News Day.
You can too.
Read a local or statewide story. Share it with a neighbor. Support the newsrooms working to keep your community informed. Because in the end, the stories that shape our daily lives start right here.
Critical time for local news
Per capita, South Dakota has one of the highest concentrations of local newspapers in the country. And from Rapid City and Sioux Falls on either end of the state to cities in between, it is also served by dozens of radio and television stations and new media sites that have launched in the past decade.
But the industry is at a crossroads because many of those news outlets are struggling financially through no fault of their own.
In response to increased costs, Jill Meier, publisher of the Brandon Valley Journal, recently ran a GoFundMe campaign for some short-term help. Her effort inspired Paul Kosel, publisher of the Groton Daily Independent in northeast South Dakota, to run a GoFundMe campaign as well and also contemplate whether an annual fundraiser should be part of his revenue stream.
Readers responded. Local News Day is an opportunity for you to join them.
South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org.
Contact board chair Kristi Hine: kristi.hine@sdnewswatch.org.
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