As the news media and academy reckon with a crisis of trust and funding, journalism practice-researchers are uniquely positioned to provide slower and more ethical journalistic outputs. Proximity, a long-standing news value, frames how journalists view the geographical and/or cultural distance between audiences and stories, shaping newsworthiness. We argue for a reimagining of proximity within journalism practice-research, one that approaches proximity as a practice, preferencing accountability to community. Employing a descriptive multiple case study design, this article details three practice-led case studies—(1) literary journalism, (2) audio documentary, and (3) photojournalism—to reframe proximity in journalism practice-research. The findings suggest this approach to proximity could complement slow, engaged and reflexive journalistic approaches, centering participants’ voices within stories. Although slower journalism practices may not suit the fast-paced, tightly budgeted news media landscape, proximity as practice offers a framework for journalism researchers to produce ethical outputs while fostering greater collaboration between industry and the academy.