Nextdoor Launches Early Access for Local Journalist Accounts on National Local News Day

National Local News Day marks a significant effort to rekindle interest in local journalism across the United States. Spearheaded by a coalition that includes the Montana Free Press, the American Journalism Project, Press Forward, and Rebuild Local News, the initiative has garnered participation from over 1,000 newsrooms nationwide. The coalition's mission is to re-establish local journalism as a cornerstone of democracy, especially as many Americans express that local news is crucial to their daily lives.

The early access program builds on a successful three-month pilot conducted in key markets including Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, and Billings, Montana, where more than 75 journalists participated. Initial findings from the pilot suggest that community engagement significantly increases when a named reporter interacts with neighbors, rather than through traditional brand pages.

The Local Journalist Accounts are designed to provide a unique platform for journalists, allowing them to engage with their communities in real time. Unlike traditional publisher pages, these accounts are tied to individual reporters, offering immediate distribution across their Designated Market Areas (DMAs) without the need for a pre-existing follower base. This means that a reporter covering specific neighborhoods can connect directly with residents, enhancing the relevance and immediacy of their reporting.

The new feature, Metro-Wide Search and Feed, enables journalists to dive into neighborhood conversations across their DMA, allowing them to tap into community sentiments and opinions before stories are published. This capability presents a significant advantage, as it grants journalists a real-time lens into local issues and discussions—something that is currently unparalleled on other local platforms.

During the pilot phase, participating journalists reported notable successes in sourcing and publishing stories directly from Nextdoor conversations. For example, Zachary-Taylor Wright, a local reporter with MySA, leveraged the platform to gather insights on community issues, successfully publishing over ten stories based on neighbor interactions in just two months. His investigations covered a range of topics from surveillance camera concerns to local business displacements due to urban development.

Similarly, Emily Holshouser from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram noted an influx of story tips from neighbors, prompting her to create a dedicated document to track them. These examples illustrate the potential of Nextdoor as a vital tool for local news reporting.

The launch of Local Journalist Accounts comes at a time when the landscape of local journalism is fraught with challenges. With a reported decline in the number of local journalists—approximately 27,000 remain in the U.S.—the need for viable platforms catering specifically to these professionals has never been more pressing. Nextdoor's model, grounded in local relevance, ensures that posts are geotagged and directed to verified residents, thereby maintaining the integrity of the revenue relationships that have been strained by changes in social media algorithms.

Nick Lisher, Executive Vice President of Product at Nextdoor, emphasizes the platform's commitment to enriching local journalism: “Neighbors come to Nextdoor because they want to know what's happening where they live. Local information is the whole point—and local journalism is a critical part of that.”

Local journalists at established news publications across the United States are invited to sign up for early access to the Local Journalist Accounts through Nextdoor's dedicated portal. The enrollment process is rolling, with applications reviewed on an ongoing basis as spots become available.

As Nextdoor positions itself as a vital resource for local journalism, the company aims to cultivate an environment where reporters can thrive and neighbors can engage meaningfully with the news that affects them most directly. By bridging the gap between local journalism and community engagement, Nextdoor is taking bold steps to support the future of local news in America.