A new countywide effort to strengthen local journalism and ensure residents have access to reliable information is set to launch later next month, bringing together media leaders, community stakeholders and national voices in journalism.
The initiative, known as Press Forward Lake County, will officially launch on Thursday, May 28, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Indiana University Northwest’s Savannah Center in Gary. The effort is being administered through the Legacy Foundation and is part of a broader national movement focused on sustaining and rebuilding local news ecosystems.
According to event materials, the free public launch will introduce the initiative’s goals while inviting residents to better understand how local journalism impacts civic engagement and community life.
The launch will feature keynote speaker Eric Deggans, a nationally recognized media analyst, NPR critic-at-large, and Gary native whose work has examined the intersection of journalism, race and public discourse.
Deggans, who was inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame in 2024, brings more than three decades of experience in the media industry and is widely regarded for his work in media ethics and accountability.
The Lake County initiative is part of the larger Press Forward network, a philanthropic and community-driven strategy aimed at supporting local news organizations across the country. Organizers say the goal is not only to support newsrooms, but also to reconnect residents with trusted sources of information and improve how news is delivered and consumed at the local level.
The effort comes at a time when local journalism continues to face significant challenges, including shrinking resources, changing audience habits and increased competition from digital and social media platforms. A recent analysis of Indiana’s news ecosystem found that local news organizations have declined in capacity over the past two decades, even as demand for accurate, community-based information remains critical to civic life.
Experts note that communities without strong local news sources, often referred to as “news deserts”, can experience lower civic engagement, reduced public accountability and greater vulnerability to misinformation. Research also indicates that when residents lose access to trusted local reporting, they are more likely to rely on fragmented or unverified sources of information, weakening the shared understanding needed for effective civic participation.
History offers cautionary examples of the broader consequences when reliable information systems break down. In pre-World War II Germany, independent journalism was replaced by state-controlled messaging, limiting the public’s access to accurate information and enabling widespread propaganda. Similarly, during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, radio broadcasts spreading false and inflammatory narratives contributed to violence by shaping public perception in the absence of trusted, factual reporting.
At the same time, new models are emerging that emphasize collaboration and shared resources among news organizations. National research on local journalism sustainability has identified collaboration and infrastructure-sharing as key strategies for addressing workforce shortages, funding gaps and audience fragmentation. Those themes have already begun to surface locally. During a recent advisory committee roundtable attended by media professionals across Lake County, participants discussed the need for greater cooperation among outlets, improved community engagement and new approaches to reaching audiences whose news consumption habits have shifted dramatically in recent years.
Organizers of Press Forward Lake County say the initiative will build on those conversations by exploring ways to strengthen the local news ecosystem while ensuring that residents across all communities have access to accurate, relevant and timely information.
The May 28 launch event is open to the public and will include remarks from community leaders, journalism experts and representatives from the Legacy Foundation, along with opportunities for attendees to learn more about how the initiative plans to move forward. Residents are encouraged to attend and take part in the conversation about the future of local news in Lake County.
