Calls for an explicitly progressive media ecosystem have increased since the election. But now may have to compete with or even contradict efforts to "save local journalism" that started in the first Trump administration. Those, like Press Forward, gained support from Big Philanthropy and legacy media institutions like journalism schools and media thought leaders.

Their premise was "saving local journalism" was a way to prevent declining faith in institutions (including the media) and, unspoken but implied, to prevent an second Trump administration.

That failed but the infrastructure and effort is still in place. I suspect J-schools, Foundations, media thought leaders like Columbia Journalism Review and Nieman Lab would still rather support and defend legacy local newspapers or nonpartisan digital startups than avowedly Democratic-aligned ones.

Like Biden only belatedly realizing cable news and op ed sections of the NYTs and Washington Post don't reach enough new or persuadable voters, it'll be hard to create a new media ecosystem when the old is so entrenched in the lives and careers of the political elite.

Hard, but likely necessary as those elite lose power and relevance.