• by Ray Schultz , April 21, 2025

The National Trust for Local News has appointed Tom Wiley, president and publisher of The Buffalo News, as its CEO.

The nonprofit news organization says it is a primary source of local news for six million people in Maine, Georgia and Colorado.

It has a unique business model, using philanthropy to invest in local newspapers but relying on earned revenue from subscriptions, advertising, events, and more to sustain them. Its goal is to harness local newspapers to build a more resilient, equitable, and vibrant future for local news, nationwide. 

“Tom Wiley is a creative, results-oriented leader who loves local journalism and has a track record of building the audiences that sustain it,” says Jim Brady, vice president of journalism at Knight Foundation. “I have no doubt that the combination of Tom’s skills with the Trust’s unique model will have a profound impact on local news.” 

Wiley has served at such titles as the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and The Middletown Press. 

“Local news is a hard business, but it isn’t complicated,” Wiley says. “Journalism that audiences value is our mission and our business model. I am excited to help our newsrooms produce even more great local journalism, and help our sellers and marketers build a strong business around it.”