News Without a Newsroom

As local newsrooms vanish and the industry’s first digital transformation redefines journalism, News Without a Newsroom explores the profound shift in journalism’s culture, values, and connection to the communities it serves. Once a pillar of democracy, local newspapers provided a voice for the marginalized and a check on power. Now, with shrinking staffs, remote journalists, and AI-driven social media shaping the news people see, the newsroom’s collaborative spirit and public service mission are at risk.

Through frontline reporting and expert insights, the film unpacks the challenges facing journalism today—from political polarization and media distrust to legislative threats and the emergence of generative AI, which blurs the line between fact and fiction like never before.