National Trust for Local News expands acquisitions under new CEO

The National Trust for Local News has resumed acquiring newspapers, including two daily publications in Georgia in July. This expansion follows a period of restructuring in early 2025 as the nonprofit news publisher sought to stabilize its operations.

To lead this effort, the Trust hired Tom Wiley as CEO in May 2025. Wiley brings decades of experience from the corporate newspaper sector, including a previous role as publisher of The Buffalo News. Wiley stated that the organization is currently healthy and possesses a longer financial runway than for-profit competitors because it is not required to service debt or shareholder dividends.

While acknowledging the challenges of the news industry, Wiley argues that local news businesses can succeed if operated without the constraints of traditional corporate debt obligations.