You’re driving down 163rd Street. Traffic is backed up because of that never-ending construction near the Mall at 163rd Street, and you realize you have no idea why they’re digging up the asphalt again. This is the classic North Miami Beach struggle. Finding a reliable North Miami Beach newspaper isn't as straightforward as it was twenty years ago when a thick bundle of paper would just hit your driveway with a satisfying thud. Now? You’re scrolling through Twitter (X), checking Nextdoor, and hoping the "Coming Soon" sign on that vacant lot isn't another luxury condo nobody asked for.
The media landscape in NMB is fragmented. It’s messy.
If you are looking for the "main" North Miami Beach newspaper, you’re basically looking for a ghost. The city doesn't have a single, dedicated daily print publication that only covers the 33160, 33162, and 33179 zip codes. Instead, we live in a world of "hyper-local" digital startups, legacy giants like the Miami Herald trying to keep up with suburban drama, and community monthlies that are mostly ads for real estate agents.
The Big Players and the Hyper-Local Gap
Most people naturally gravitate toward the Miami Herald. It’s the big dog. But honestly, unless there is a massive corruption scandal at City Hall or a hurricane is spinning toward Haulover Beach, the Herald isn't giving you the play-by-play on your neighborhood park’s new lighting system. They have their "Neighbors" section, which is fine, but it often feels like it’s covering too much ground. You get a story about NMB sandwiched between news from Aventura and a bake sale in Miami Shores.
Then you have the Community Newspapers group. You've seen these. They are the glossy or semi-glossy papers often found in stacks at the local library or your favorite deli. They are great for seeing photos of local politicians cutting ribbons. They capture that "small town" feel that North Miami Beach still desperately tries to maintain despite the skyrocketing skyline nearby. But for hard-hitting investigative journalism? You might have to look elsewhere.
Why the Sun-Sentinel and Others Matter
Surprisingly, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel occasionally eats the Herald's lunch when it comes to northern Miami-Dade coverage. Because NMB sits right on the edge of the Broward line, the Sun-Sentinel often picks up stories that affect the daily commute or regional water issues.
It's a weird geographical quirk.
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If you live in Eastern Shores, you’re probably more concerned with what’s happening in Aventura or Sunny Isles. If you’re over by Washington Park, your news needs are totally different. This is why a single North Miami Beach newspaper is such a hard thing to sustain. The city is a mosaic of different cultures, income levels, and interests.
Social Media: The Unofficial North Miami Beach Newspaper
Let's be real. For a lot of us, the "newspaper" is just a Facebook group.
Groups like "North Miami Beach Community" or various crime watch pages have become the de facto news sources. You get the news fast. Sometimes too fast. You’ll see a post about a police helicopter over Snake Creek Canal five minutes after it happens. But there is a massive downside: the "Telephone Game" effect. One person says they heard a pop, and by the third comment, everyone is convinced there’s a bank heist in progress when it was really just a car backfiring.
This is where the lack of a traditional, well-funded North Miami Beach newspaper hurts. We lose the fact-checking. We lose the nuance of why the city council voted a certain way on the new zoning ordinance. We just get the outrage.
Following the Money and the Zoning
If you want to act like your own investigative reporter, you have to look at the City of North Miami Beach’s official communications. It’s dry. It’s boring. It’s also where the real news is hidden.
The city puts out its own digital newsletters and notices. While these aren't "newspapers" in the independent sense—they are definitely PR pieces—they contain the raw data. You find out about the "NMB Water" updates here. You find out about the closures of the Julius Littman Performing Arts Theater for renovations.
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- Political Shifts: The city has had its fair share of drama. Remember the 2023 legal battles over whether certain commissioners even lived in the city? A local paper would have lived on that story for months.
- Development: The "New North" plan is transforming the city. The area around the old graveyard and the industrial sectors are turning into high-rises.
- Education: News about the local schools, like North Miami Beach Senior High, often gets buried unless there's a sports win or a scandal.
The reality is that we are in a "news desert" for the medium-sized stuff. We know the president's latest tweet, and we know if our neighbor's dog got out. We don't always know why our property taxes just spiked or who is funding the newest candidate for the city commission.
How to Stay Informed Without a Daily Paper
Since we don't have a North Miami Beach Daily hitting our porches, you have to build your own news feed. It’s more work, but it’s the only way to not be the last person to know what’s going on.
Start by bookmarking the "Government" tab on the official NMB website. I know, I know—it’s not fun reading. But looking at the meeting agendas for the Planning and Zoning Board tells you more about the future of your neighborhood than any Facebook rant ever will.
Next, follow the local beat reporters on social media. Even if the Miami Herald isn't printing NMB news every day, their reporters are often tweeting about what they see at the county level that impacts our city.
The Independent Voices
There are a few independent bloggers and small-scale digital news sites that try to fill the gap. Political Cortadito often touches on North Miami Dade politics with a very... let's call it a "spicy" perspective. It’s opinionated, sure, but it highlights the kind of local political maneuvering that big outlets ignore.
The Biscayne Times is another one to watch. While its footprint is technically a bit further south, its coverage area frequently creeps up into the North Miami and North Miami Beach area. They tend to focus more on the "culture" and "vibe" of the neighborhoods—think art, dining, and environmental issues.
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Real-World Impact of Diminished Local News
When a city the size of North Miami Beach—roughly 43,000 people—doesn't have a dedicated, robust North Miami Beach newspaper, accountability slips.
When nobody is sitting in the back of a committee meeting taking notes, things get weird. Contracts get signed without much public scrutiny. Historical buildings get "accidentally" demolished. You see it happen all over South Florida. The lack of a local paper isn't just about missing the high school football scores; it's about losing a watchdog.
It’s also about community.
A newspaper tells us who we are. It features the guy who has been running the same tailor shop on West Dixie Highway for 40 years. It tells us about the kid who won a national science fair. Without that, we’re just a collection of houses and apartments near a beach, rather than a cohesive city.
Your North Miami Beach News Checklist
Since you can't just subscribe to one thing and call it a day, do this to stay ahead of the curve:
- Sign up for City E-Notifications: Go to the North Miami Beach city website and find the "Notify Me" section. Choose "City News" and "Agendas."
- Follow the Police Department: The NMBPD is actually pretty active on social media. If there’s a road closure or a safety issue, they usually post it there before it hits any news site.
- Check the Miami Herald "Neighbors" Section Weekly: Set a calendar reminder. It’s the closest thing to a traditional paper you’ll get.
- Attend a Commission Meeting: Honestly, even once a year. It’s eye-opening. You’ll see the developers and the lobbyists in person.
- Support Local Newsletters: If a local journalist starts a Substack or a small digital site for NMB, subscribe. Even the free versions help build their reach.
The era of the monolithic North Miami Beach newspaper might be over, but the need for information isn't. You just have to be your own editor now. Pay attention to the zoning signs on the side of the road. Read the fine print on the flyers at the library. In a city that is changing as fast as this one, staying quiet is the same as being left behind.