The future of local news the hot topic at Record film screening

The Record North Shore and its supporters together embraced the current state of local news last week during a screening of the documentary “Stripped For Parts: American Journalism on the Brink.”

The Record and the League of Women Voters united to bring the film to The Wilmette Theatre on Oct. 23 and follow it up with a micro panel on the present and future of local news.

“Stripped For Parts” tells the story of how a financial strategy called “distressed asset investing,” or vulture investing, has decimated newsrooms nationwide. It focuses on the news landscape in Baltimore and the tactics of Alden Global Capital, which owned the Baltimore Sun and now owns the Chicago Tribune, as well as plenty of other titles.

About 50 guests attended the screening and afterward heard from Tim Franklin, a Glencoe resident and Northwestern University dean who chairs the school’s Local News Initiative. Franklin presented a glimpse at his program’s State of Local News 2024 report, which dropped earlier that day.

Record Editor in Chief Joe Coughlin was on hand to participate in the panel and field questions from the audience, and special guest Blair Kamin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic and Wilmette resident, also joined to share his thoughts on the film and local news.

“It was a special night for The Record and The League of Women Voters, both nonpartisan organizations, that brought together community members to focus on the importance of trusted, local journalism,” said Ryan Osborn, The Record’s director of development who organized the event.

“What started as an idea for a first-time event that we brainstormed over coffee exceeded all of our expectations and we are so grateful for all who attended.”

The Record believes that responsible and independent local news is vital to a community’s wellbeing and regularly producing that news is a public service. The Record’s reporting is free for all to read and is powered by the support of readers.

Events like the movie screening allow The Record to sustain its mission while also furthering it through outreach to the community.

The Record is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community newsroom that relies on reader support to fuel its independent local journalism.

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