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.