Featuring Guest Speaker: Jill Burcum, Strib Editorial Board and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Burcam speaks to the growing threats to the free press, as corporate consolidation increasingly affects both local and national newspapers. This trend often prioritizes cost-cutting and profit over public service journalism, leading to newsroom layoffs, reduced investigative reporting, and the hollowing out of once-vital community institutions. As local voices disappear, many regions become “news deserts,” leaving citizens with limited access to reliable, independent reporting. At the same time, national outlets face similar pressures, with consolidation narrowing the diversity of perspectives and raising concerns about editorial independence, as fewer corporate entities control what information reaches the public.