Public Media Outlet To Acquire, Serve As 'Anchor' For North Texas Paper

KERA, the public media organization serving North Texas, will acquire the Denton Record Chronicle and serve as a community “anchor” for the century-old paper, according to the National Trust for Local News.  

The Trust will facilitate the transaction and integration of the two entities, working with them to measure the impact of the move on economic sustainability, civic engagement, public accountability and community social cohesion in the North Texas region, it says.  

Bill Patterson, the owner of the Denton Record-Chronicle, reached out to the Trust last year as he weighed his succession options. The Trust identified KERA and its new leader, Nico Leone, as a potential partner for the newspaper.  

“Communities across the country are clamoring to ensure the long-term sustainability of their local and community news,” states Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro, co-founder and CEO of the National Trust for Local News.  

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Shapiro adds, “This expected acquisition of a beloved and storied community newspaper by a strong public media station shows another way forward.”

This new model is the second innovation facilitated by the Trust, which was launched in 2021 with the creation of the Colorado News Conservancy.

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