Local news is an endangered, but essential resource for healthy, informed communities, one that calls citizens to come together to create a sense of place and a shared sense of self. With the demise of local journalism, personal and civic connections are becoming a more difficult prospect, leading to less informed and resilient towns and cities. This special webinar opened to the public by Funding Futures, invites you to hear from The New Pine Plains Herald’s Editor-in-Chief Patrick Grego and Jonathan Kealing, chief network officer at the Institute for Nonprofit News, to discuss new models for local news.
About our Speakers:
Patrick Grego is the editor-in-chief of The New Pine Plains Herald, an award-winning nonprofit newsroom serving five rural communities in New York’s Hudson Valley. He leads the organization’s editorial strategy, newsroom operations, and long-term growth, guiding the revival of independent local journalism in a region deeply affected by the decline of community newspapers, while continuing to report on government accountability, public policy, and civic life. During his tenure, Grego has led a period of sustained organizational expansion, overseeing a tripling of the Herald’s revenues in two years, broadening coverage across underserved communities, and strengthening reader trust in local news. His reporting has earned multiple honors from the New York Press Association as well as national recognition from the Institute for Nonprofit News, including the Community Champion Award for journalism that made a significant contribution to the well-being of the community.
Jonathan Kealing is a journalist, media strategist, and nonprofit news leader based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He currently serves as Chief Network Officer at the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), where he strengthens collaboration and audience growth among INN's network of nonprofit newsrooms and develops partnerships and services that help them meet their missions and increase the reach and impact of their journalism.
Before joining INN, Kealing spent seven years at Public Radio International, where he helped relaunch PRI.org as a destination for serious journalism. Earlier in his career, Kealing worked for The World Company in Lawrence, Kansas, where he oversaw a group of websites devoted to local news, sports, and community health, and also reported on higher education.
He holds a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Kansas, and has been an active voice in journalism circles, guest-lecturing at colleges and universities and serving as past president of the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists and as a trustee of the William Allen White Foundation and a board member for MinnPost.