I'm Michael Bolden, the CEO and executive director of the American Press Institute, a journalism nonprofit that supports local and community-based media through research, programs and products that foster healthy, responsive and resilient news organizations.

For more than a decade, I have helped media leaders navigate the complexity of social and economic disruption to serve diverse democratic communities. I have accomplished this work at the intersection of media, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement in senior roles at The Washington Post, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Stanford University, The San Francisco Chronicle, and now at the American Press Institute.

My experience provides me with a unique view of how journalism can serve the information needs of our communities and equip change agents to meet them.

I believe journalism is a fundamental element of the American experiment, with a great deal of power and responsibility. For the health of our democracy, I believe the press should be at the center of American life. It has the power to connect and unify the American people. Let's meet the moment.

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We, the Press, We, the People

A Love Letter to Local News

The Next Step in My Journalism Journey

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