Everyone praises the big outlets, what's the underrated local news model nobody credits?

[Enterprise]

National news outlets get most of the attention and funding while local news has genuinely struggled for years, but a handful of underrated models have quietly kept meaningful community coverage alive despite that broader industry decline. Nonprofit newsroom models, reader funded local newsletters, and cooperative ownership structures rarely get the same recognition as the big national brands. Curious what underrated local news model people think deserves way more credit for actually keeping communities informed

Doesn't need to be a household name, just genuinely underrated relative to the actual value it provides a specific community. Share yours below along with what makes that specific model work

What's actually kept local news alive in your own area, if anything. Genuinely curious what underrated models people have actually encountered