The Project for the Revitalization of Local News

The Project for the Revitalization of Local News is an initiative within the Reynolds School to support local journalism in Nevada. 

Goals of the project

  • Provide news coverage by students and professional journalists in Nevada communities that have experienced major reductions in local media, beginning with Elko and Incline Village
  • Organize professional meetings for Nevada news leaders to develop strategies and innovations for enhancing and sustaining local service
  • Organize public events to raise community awareness of the decline of local journalism in our state
  • Conduct academic research to assess the provision of local news in Nevada

Partnerships and research

KUNR host Lori Gilbert sits at the studio desk adjusting audio levels

Partnering with KUNR

The Project for the Revitalization of Local News has established reporting programs in Elko, through KUNR’s sister station KNCC, located at Great Basin College, and in Incline Village, through the Reynolds School’s Lake Tahoe News Collective, in partnership with KUNR. 

View of Lake Tahoe from Incline Village overlooking the blue water, trees and mountains in the distance.

Leading research on news in Nevada

In addition to sponsoring industry and community events, the project conducted the first-ever study of the local-news ecology in Nevada and published the white paper "Local News Landscape of Nevada: Are News Deserts Taking Over the State?" in 2026. 

Local News Landscape of Nevada

This 2026 white paper aims to provide answers to various questions by examining the current landscape of news in Nevada. Due to Nevada’s mix of urban and rural areas, along with its growing population, gaining a clear understanding of the state’s current news media landscape has been challenging. This report compiles information on existing news media operations across the state, offering a comprehensive overview.

A group of students walking and talking next to the University quad.

Support for the project

The project receives funding from The Hearst Foundations, the John Ben Snow Memorial Trust, the Office of the Provost at the University of Nevada, Reno, Great Basin College and individual donors. For more information about the project, contact project director Al Stavitsky at ags@unr.edu. 

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