MS NOW Bets Big on Local News and Original Reporting to Define Its Future Without NBC

MS NOW, the news network formerly known as MSNBC before its official split from NBC News last October, is staking its claim on a crucial but endangered part of the media landscape: local news. With more than three dozen new journalists onboard, including recent hires from The Washington Post and The New York Times, the network is doubling down on original reporting — especially at the local level.

On Local News Day, MS NOW announced partnerships with three heavyweight nonprofit journalism organizations: The Pulitzer Center, States Newsroom, and The Marshall Project. These collaborations aim to deliver investigative and localized stories that often slip through the cracks of national coverage.

The Pulitzer Center will receive funding from MS NOW to support ambitious investigative projects on underreported topics like climate change, global health, human rights, and artificial intelligence. These stories will be featured across MS NOW’s platforms, signaling a clear investment in quality journalism beyond the usual headlines.

Meanwhile, MS NOW’s work with The Marshall Project will zero in on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and immigration enforcement operations nationwide. This partnership leverages the expertise of The Marshall Project’s criminal justice focus, with MS NOW reporters Jacob Soboroff, David Noriega, and Rosa Flores collaborating on the investigations.

States Newsroom journalists will bring critical coverage of state and local elections, policy debates, and voter access issues, a timely focus as the 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential election loom. Brian Carovillano, MS NOW’s senior vice president of news standards and partnerships, emphasized that these efforts “further highlight our commitment to the First Amendment and acknowledge the necessity of local journalism for a functioning democracy.”

This move is both strategic and urgent. Local news outlets have been shuttering at an alarming rate, leaving communities in the dark and eroding a key pillar of democratic accountability. MS NOW’s investment bucks this trend, aiming to fill the void and hold power to account at every level.

In a media environment increasingly dominated by national and partisan narratives, MS NOW’s embrace of local reporting and investigative journalism could help preserve the “first draft of history” and ensure that crucial stories don’t disappear. For a network carving out its identity post-NBC, this is a defining moment — and a much-needed lifeline for local journalism in America.