The 5 most popular Better News articles and case studies of 2025
Emily Ristow, American Press Institute,
Images from the five most-viewed Better News pieces of 2025 (Photos by Rachel Smith/The News Reporter; Darin Kamnetz and Andrea Bruce/Down in the County; and screen captures from a video by Dean Bog)
Here are 5 ideas to steal and adapt: From collaborating with creators to revenue experiments you can adapt in your organization, these articles and case studies are the most-viewed in 2025 on BetterNews.org.In 2025, the American Press Institute’s Better News featured lessons and successes from local news organizations across the U.S. and a few from around the world. The articles and case studies featured on this list — written by and about alumni of the Table Stakes Local News Transformation Program and the American Press Institute’s 2025 Influencer Learning Cohort — are our top five most-viewed stories in 2025.
1. How building a local creator map can lead to stronger community connections
Pittsburgh’s Public Source, an alum of two API Influencer Learning Cohorts, used its $3,000 grant to build a diverse, regionally representative map of local creators and trusted messengers to strengthen relationships and spark new opportunities for collaboration. The community news organization worked with Adriana Lacy of Influencer Journalism and Adriana Lacy Consulting to map more than 40 Pittsburgh-based creators, and they shared tips and a template for mapping influencers in your own community.
More on partnering with creators: API’s guide to influencer collaborations
2. 15 photojournalism tips for reporters, from the founder of Down in the County
In this piece packed with practical advice, photojournalist Andrea Bruce shares tips for making great photos — a skill she’s used across her award-winning career at publications such as National Geographic and The New York Times, and at Down in the County, a visuals-first, online publication she started in 2021 in Pamlico County, N.C., where she grew up. She wrote a second Better News piece about Down in the County and how she uses photojournalism to build community.
Want more Better News?
- Sign up for our monthly newsletter.
- Review the most popular case studies of 2024, 2023 and 2022.
3. 8 revenue experiments you can replicate in your news organization
The eight organizations in API’s Revenue Experiments Learning Cohort for Table Stakes alumni tested a variety of strategies to diversify their revenue streams. Some focused on products: The Salt Lake Tribune piloted its live events, Bangor Daily News launched a paid newsletter, Henrico Citizen relaunched its Restaurant Week and The News Reporter upped its video content game by creating a three-camera studio in its newsroom. Two public radio stations looked to connect with more donors: Boise State Public Radio tried a new marketing approach, while LAist tested a smoother checkout for donors. And finally, two organizations created opportunities for more paid advertising: QCity Metro installed digital billboards in local businesses, and The Atlanta Voice created a sponsorship deck and promotional video to pitch its In The Black, Legacy Business campaign.
More on revenue: Revenue ideas to inspire, from alumni of the Table Stakes program
4. 5 strategies for retaining print and digital subscribers
As local news organizations continue to focus on growing their subscriber bases, they also need to develop strategies to retain those new paid subscribers. In this piece, Anthony Basilio, senior director, circulation & subscriptions at the Los Angeles Times, shares strategies from his time at The San Diego Union-Tribune. You’ll find guiding questions to chart the path toward sustainability, processes to support retention, successful subscriber onboarding tactics and ways to reward subscribers.
More on funding journalism: Tips for funding reporting beats from The Post and Courier
5. What Gen Z journalists want news leaders to know
Though this piece was published in October 2024, it speaks to ongoing challenges news leaders are facing when it comes to managing across generations and navigating those tensions. This was a common theme during conversations at the API Local News Summit on fostering belonging and collaboration in July 2024. Inspired by those summit conversations, and spurred by a desire for better collaboration and understanding across age cohorts, Better News freelancer Caitlin Dewey interviewed six Gen Z journalists to learn what they want news leaders to know about workplace culture, journalistic values, and well-being and mental health.
More on working across generations: 5 environments where generational solidarity is needed — and how local journalism can help