Beyond the Newsrooms (Lannie Byrd Commentary)

Tegna headquarters in Tysons, Virginia (File photo)

When Nexstar Media Group announced its $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna, much of the commentary focused on newsroom cuts and homogenized coverage. Those are real concerns, but the impact goes further. This merger will reshape how Arkansas communities receive information, how advertisers reach audiences, and how local influence is defined.

I have seen this cycle before. At KYXK radio in Arkadelphia, I covered the Clark County Quorum Court, the Arkadelphia city board and the Gurdon City Council. Later, at The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, I helped launch its first online team before watching the collapse of classified ads trigger layoffs and shrink local coverage. When ownership consolidates and local voices are squeezed out, communities lose connection and trust.

In Arkansas, Nexstar would control both KARK and KTHV in Little Rock and KNWA and KFSM in northwest Arkansas. That consolidation reduces competition for viewers and for advertisers. Local businesses will face fewer options and less leverage. National ad dollars will take priority, while small businesses risk being priced out or pushed into formulaic campaigns that fail to reflect their markets.

At the same time, audiences are shifting. Connected TV, which enables users to stream content directly to their television from the internet, allows precision targeting by ZIP code or demographic, but national packages often come with high minimums that shut out smaller advertisers. Local agencies can tailor campaigns that reflect the culture of Hillcrest, Fayetteville’s student population or northwest Arkansas’ Latino community. The real opportunity for Arkansas businesses is not in scale but in precision.

And as broadcast content grows more uniform, alternative voices are rising. News influencers on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube are covering city councils and community issues in ways that feel authentic and interactive. Younger audiences are tuning in, and advertisers are beginning to follow.

This is not the death of local media but its reconfiguration. Traditional broadcasters will remain powerful, but trust will shift to whoever is most relevant and authentic. Communities will always want their own stories told by their own people. My friend Andrew Bagley has shown this by reviving the Helena World, the Waldron News and the Monroe County Argus. His work as president of the Arkansas Press Association demonstrates that local journalism can rebound when communities demand it.

The Nexstar–Tegna merger may consolidate ownership, but it cannot consolidate trust. Arkansas businesses that adapt — by diversifying beyond broadcast, investing in precision-driven channels and leaning on local expertise — will continue to reach their audiences effectively. The future of local media will not be defined by who owns the most stations. It will be defined by who earns the most trust.

Lannie Byrd is the chief operating officer and a shareholder at mhp.si of Little Rock.