Over the past two decades, local journalism has faced a devastating decline - more than 3,000 newspapers have shut down, and over 40,000 reporters have lost their jobs. As newsrooms shrink, their ability to cover essential local issues like school board, city, and county government meetings has all but disappeared. With fewer reporters on the ground, coverage gaps have grown wider, leaving communities uninformed and disconnected from the decisions that affect their daily lives.
This downward spiral inspired us to create Retriever - a nonprofit platform built to restore access to local information and strengthen transparency in small and rural communities. We designed Retriever to help newsrooms rebuild capacity, providing them with searchable, ready-to-use local content that would otherwise go uncovered. By combining technology with mission-driven journalism, Retriever gives local outlets the tools to survive -and empowers citizens to stay informed about what’s happening where they live.
Why we created Retriever Technology
Retriever currently covers Texas and New Mexico, providing in-depth access to local government meetings, agendas, and transcripts across both states. Our network spans rural towns, mid-sized cities, and county governments -ensuring communities of all sizes stay informed.
We’re also actively expanding across other states, with plans to bring Retriever’s search and reporting tools to newsrooms across the country, helping restore local journalism and transparency in every state.
