In the beginning of the recession, every media outlet was hit hard as marketing budgets seemed to vanish. Now, as we look toward the final quarter of 2012, it seems as though things are stabilizing. One exception though, is the newspaper; the landscape here has changed dramatically. For the past few years this industry has been riddled with bankruptcies, closing doors and the increased demand for no-cost news.

While many papers have adapted and managed to grow both their print and digital circulations, one of the greatest hits to the news mix is local print. Local newspapers serve an incredibly important purpose to consumers. It’s easy to find out what’s happening nationally and globally, but what about high school sports scores or information about a local string of break-ins? What about local farmers markets, charity events and road construction? Local news is also an important place for local advertisers that can’t afford to tap into the circulations of larger news outlets. While hyper local sites like Patch.com and others that are interdependently operated have become increasingly popular, they are often handled by citizen journalists that lack the talent and training of a professional.

So what can save local news? One university is taking a big risk in order to try and save their local paper. Mercer University in Macon, GA has brought their local newspaper, The Telegraph, on campus and has students working alongside staff members in a “medical residency model to journalism” which university president William D. Underwood thinks will give this local paper a chance to keep publishing.

“I want young people to be able to practice journalism ethically and competently the day they graduate,” Mr. Underwood said. “I have a concern about the future of local print journalism. There’s nothing more vital to a functioning democracy.”

Whether or not this is the solution to save local news, I don’t know, but it is certainly an interesting endeavor. One that could help maintain the credibility of local news if it helps this country’s future journalists realize the importance of real, researched and fact-checked stories in world full of blogs, opinions and tweets, which are often confused for news.