BY ZACHARY RICHNER | This past weekend, a horse named Journalism showed us what a comeback looks like.

He was five lengths back, bumped and bruised as he fought through a crowded pack in the Preakness Stakes, one of horse racing’s biggest events. But Journalism didn’t fold, even when he looked to be down and out. He found daylight in the final turn, charged down the stretch, and stormed past the leaders to win in spectacular fashion.

It was gritty. It was powerful. And it was symbolic.

Because while Journalism the horse crossed the finish line in triumph, journalism the profession is reeling—and falling further behind every day.

In New York, dozens of local newspapers have shuttered over the past year, even in some of the wealthiest communities. Trusted reporters have vanished from towns and villages across the state. There’s no one left to sit through school board meetings, follow the money at town hall, or tell the human stories that hold communities together.

The decline isn’t distant. It’s here. It’s happening now. And yet, there is still a clear lane for journalism organizations to triumph—if we fight for it.

Last year, New York passed a first-in-the-nation tax credit to support truly local journalism. That policy, now in effect, offers a lifeline to community-based newspapers. It was made possible by electeds including Chelsea’s own New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal alongside the efforts of the Empire State Local News Coalition, a nonpartisan alliance of more than 200 local newspapers in New York—including Chelsea Community News—committed to keeping local reporting alive.

To turn that legislative victory into a lasting comeback, the Empire State Local News Coalition needs support—from readers, businesses, neighbors, and anyone who cares about truth, transparency, and community camaraderie.

Because while four legs carried Journalism to victory, it’s the Fourth Estate that carries our democracy—and right now, it’s running out of steam.

If you appreciate the work we do covering your schools, government, family, friends, and more, then please donate to the Empire State Local News Coalition at SaveNYLocalNews.com/support. With your help, journalism—the one that informs, uplifts, and protects—can make a dramatic comeback, too.