The Tulsa Local News Initiative is a collaborative effort designed to expand access to trusted and impactful local journalism for all Tulsans. This initiative builds on input from hundreds of residents and aims to create a stronger, more connected community through high-quality news and information.

A central component of the initiative is the revitalization of The Oklahoma Eagle, a historic Black-owned newspaper with deep roots in Tulsa. By quadrupling the newsroom’s capacity, the initiative is ensuring the Eagle’s legacy continues to thrive while increasing its ability to serve the community. The initiative will also establish a new nonprofit newsroom in 2025 led by Gary Lee, current managing editor of the Eagle and former Washington Post bureau chief. These efforts will create more than two dozen new jobs in Tulsa’s local news sector, bolstering the city’s journalism landscape.

To further strengthen Tulsa’s local news ecosystem, the Tulsa Local News Initiative is investing in expanded capacity for four local newsrooms: The Frontier, KOSU, La Semana and Focus: Black Oklahoma. These investments will strengthen its ability to serve diverse audiences and address critical issues. A growing coalition of local media partners, including Tulsa World, KOTV, TulsaPeople Magazine, The University of Tulsa and Tulsa Press Club will work together to share resources and amplify the impact of local journalism.

Leaders

  • Gary Lee
    Executive Editor
    Gary Lee is an award-winning journalist and leader deeply rooted in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was an avid reader of The Oklahoma Eagle as an adolescent, sparking his interest in journalism. He eventually moved on to write about foreign policy, environmental issues and social justice topics, and was Moscow bureau chief for the Washington Post. In 2021, Lee returned home to Tulsa as managing editor of The Eagle. Under his leadership, the newspaper has earned numerous accolades, including top awards from the Oklahoma Press Association in 2022, 2023 and 2024. He was twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for his foreign coverage and won the Lowell Thomas Award for travel journalism for his coverage of Sept. 11.  In 2024, The National Association of Black Journalists honored Lee with the award of Journalist of Distinction, one of the organization’s top annual awards. In his new role at the Tulsa Local News Initiative, Lee will continue to oversee publication of The Eagle, while also leading a broader newsroom serving all Tulsa communities.