Community newspapers must adapt to technological advancements if they want to remain relevant and contribute meaningfully to community development, the Weekend Editor of The Guardian and Vice President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in South-West, Dr Kabir Garba, has said.

Garba gave the charge in his remarks at the Journalism Outlook Conference 2026, held at Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State.

The conference, organised by Caleb University, in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), NGE and the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), is themed ‘Reinventing Local Newspapers in the Digital Age: Innovation, Sustainability, and Global Community Impact’.

Garba, who represented the President of the NGE, Eze Anaba, at the event, said that the digital revolution had drastically changed news consumption patterns, posing serious challenges to traditional local newspapers.

He said that despite the reduction in consumption patterns, local newspapers remain vital platforms for informing citizens on key issues, such as governance, education, health, security, agriculture, and local businesses, noting that community newspapers must reimagine the core purpose of journalism through innovation, financial sustainability, and stronger community engagement for them to survive and make an impact in society.

Besides, the Editor stated that while technology presents challenges to traditional print media, it also offers unprecedented opportunities, urging local newspapers to move beyond print by developing user-friendly websites, mobile applications, podcasts, and robust social media platforms to deliver timely and accurate news.

“Incorporating multimedia storytelling, data journalism, and live reporting can attract younger audiences who increasingly consume news online. Artificial Intelligence and digital analytics can also help publishers understand audience preferences and deliver personalised content without compromising journalistic ethics,” he said.

He, however, advocated diversified revenue streams, including digital subscriptions, membership models, sponsored content, events, grants, and strategic partnerships with businesses and civil society organisations.

Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Olalekan Asikhia, in his remarks, dismissed the notion that the digital revolution is killing print media, saying that it has only killed obsolete business models.

He said: “People have not stopped consuming news. They have simply changed how they consume it. The real product has never been paper but credible information. What newspapers must now reinvent is not journalism itself, but content delivery, audience engagement, revenue generation, newsroom culture, and technological capability.”

He, however, maintained that local newspapers still matter and remain irreplaceable because they provide accountability, which they use to monitor local councils and institutions.

Also, the publisher of the foremost community newspaper in Nigeria, Oriwu Sun, Monzor Olowosago, urged young journalists to focus on grassroots community reporting as one way to revive local newspapers.

He advised them to develop strong ambitions in community journalism, adding that they can start small with a four-page or eight-page newspaper while building gradually through consistency, hardwork, truthfulness, and focus.