“Why are the tiny, overworked immigrant outlets pulling off what we’ve been trying to do for a decade?” The answer isn’t mysterious. These outlets had no choice. They operate inside communities, not at the edge of them. And when life gets confusing — and life is very confusing right now — people don’t look for content. They look for a guide.

In 2026, the people shaping the future of news won’t be in newsrooms. They won’t have titles, Slack channels, or even the faintest interest in CMS redesigns. Many won’t call what they do “journalism.” But they’ll be doing the work anyway — often more effectively than the institutions built for it.