Local publishers are stretched thin, juggling content demands and platform changes on a daily basis. However, building community loyalty doesn’t have to mean doing more—it simply requires a more innovative and strategic approach.

In 2025, readers crave authenticity and trust above all else. They want to feel their news sources are here for them, showing up where they are and delivering real value. The challenge? Creating valuable content takes time, and many local teams lack the resources. 

So how do you stay deeply connected to your audience when everything’s moving fast and your team is stretched so thin? In this article, we’ll explore why community journalism still matters and how local publishers can utilize specific tools to enhance engagement and build more loyal audiences. 

Why community journalism still matters

Despite our ability to access global news at any moment, local journalism remains critical to the health and growth of communities. A valuable local news source is an anchor, grounding communities in their shared stakes and collective identity. It’s a civic connector, not just a content distributor.

Studies from Pew Research Center show that 85% of adult Americans still find the local news important on some scale. Some of the most positive feedback stemmed from their attention to regional issues, accuracy, transparency, and their focus on local over national politics. 

Local journalism tends to delve deeper into stories and issues that larger national sources may overlook. These are writers and reporters that communities recognize instantly and who they come back to time and again.

Why is it important for publishers to engage directly with readers?

Audiences who value local journalism are looking for three key traits—transparency, relevance, and being heard. These connections are lost when audiences feel disconnected from their newsources unless publishers make an effort to be present.

Over the last few decades, audiences have become increasingly skeptical of institutions, particularly those that seem larger than life. There is a barrier to connecting and building an audience when trust is lost, especially with digital content; people are tired of spam, clickbait, and tricks. 

Building loyalty and genuine connections means being present, authentic, and informed about what your audience cares about. Not prioritizing engagement as a local publisher can be detrimental—your audience pool is not infinite, and it is crucial to understand who you’re talking to before you start! Local journalists have a responsibility to understand precisely what their audience wants and to identify who they are specifically addressing with every piece of content. 

How can social media support community ties?

Social media has become one of the most effective platforms for digital media distribution, particularly for local publishers. It’s not only cost-effective, with potential for massive growth—social media platforms are filled with tools for local publishers to utilize and automation capabilities to help teams save time. 

Residents, businesses, and local organizations in your community are already using social media to build community and share information and stories. With existing groups focused on local events and causes, it’s easier than ever to meet your audience where they are. 

Smart automation helps you maximize your social media efforts and supports meaningful moments by automating mundane daily tasks—scheduling, publishing, analyzing, and predicting future trends. True Anthem’s tool goes even further, enabling you to schedule and publish audience-specific content in one dashboard on multiple platforms. 

What types of content help build community ties?

So what type of content are local audiences looking for? What kind of content do they expect from journalism in their community? 

• Stories that spotlight local issues. Focus on stories that amplify community voices, highlight specific local problems, or create a sense of shared identity. These are stories that everyone in the community can relate to.
• Evergreen content. Create content that local audiences can find when they need it. This could include service journalism pieces (think: “How to prepare your home for hurricane season” or “What to pack in an emergency storm kit”) and community Q&As that address common concerns. These resources remain useful year-round and can be quickly refreshed with new details as seasons change or severe weather approaches.
• Events coverage. Publishing information on local events will establish you as a beacon for helping to build community. These are great stories to get repetitive traffic to your content. 
• Tailor national stories. You don’t have to shy away from national news just because you’re a local journalist. If anything, tailor what is going on in the worst to highlight local implications/interests.

7 ways to build stronger community ties without burning out

1. Localize every story you can. 

You want to publish as much local content as possible. However, if you can’t, even adding a sentence connecting a national issue to your community can make a significant impact. 

2. Highlight community voices

Feature voices directly from your community through social media reels, stories, comment threads, and polls. You can also do a special spotlight series to highlight real people in your local area. 

3. Use platforms with local targeting (like Nextdoor)

Platforms like Nextdoor, Reddit, and Facebook are great for reposting events and stories that are tailored to your local community. You should follow SEO best practices, such as using relevant tags and keywords, to increase discoverability. 

4. Automate the routine to focus on real connection. 

Reduce your team’s daily tasks by utilizing automation tools that can schedule and feature pre-set templates for future posts in a consistent style. 

5. Resurface evergreen local stories

Organize your evergreen posts in a central location where you can easily retrieve and reuse them when needed for content. Update the call-to-action or seasonal information as needed to ensure relevance. 

6. Ask and answer real questions from your community

Post Q&As on social media and create content from real customers that ask questions your local audience wants the answers to. These do well with boosting engagement. 

7. Show up with consistency—not constantly

When your audience knows what to expect from your content and when, they are more likely to trust you. Again, trust is scarce in the digital age, and consistency can help build it. 

True Anthem helps local journalists succeed 

Community building in local journalism is essential to a successful news strategy, but it can be a time-consuming process. Automating daily tasks with tools like True Anthem can make the whole process more manageable, leaving your team to focus on meaningful engagement. 

True Anthem helps you free up time so you can focus on what matters—building loyalty, fostering trust, and deepening your connection with the community you serve. Let automation handle the posting so you can do the listening. Contact us today to schedule a demo and see how we can serve you!