Today Paul sits down with Justin Gordon, founder of The LA Grind, a rapidly growing local media and events company focused on LA's startup scene. Justin shares the origin story of The LA Grind: how his background in venture capital, newsletters, and podcasting led him to launch a media meets events company for LA’s entrepreneurial community. Justin brings tons of value for local media startups as well as established local publications. Links: The LA Grind Justin Gordon - LinkedIn --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Paul chats with Joe Coughlin, co-founder and Editor in Chief of The Record North Shore, a nonprofit news outlet serving Chicago’s northern suburbs. Joe shares the journey from legacy local journalism at 22nd Century Media to launching an independent, community focused newsroom during the pandemic. Links: The Record North Shore joe@therecordns.org Joe Coughlin - X/Twitter --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Paul sits down with Mike Gyi, founder of TownSpot, a hyperlocal events platform born from a passion for place making, social impact, and uncovering hidden gems in your own backyard. From his architecture roots to building tech with social purpose, Mike shares the story behind TownSpot: a digital calendar that aims to rewire how we engage with our communities. Links: Townspot.co Mike Gyi - LinkedIn Mike Gyi - Twitter/X mike@townspot.co --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show Paul Myers explains how Mineral King Publishing is confronting the crisis in local journalism by rethinking the business model. Traditional advertising and subscriptions no longer cut it and AI is both a threat and a tool. With Lantern AI, Paul aims to turn high value local reporting into products for businesses (like developers and entrepreneurs) who need timely, local insights. Links: Paul Myers - LinkedIn Lantrn.ai The Sun-Gazette Mid Valley Times --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Paul talks with TJ Larkin, the publisher behind Larkin Media and the creator of 14 hyperlocal newsletters (and counting). TJ shares his unexpected journey from a family insurance business to becoming a driving force in the revival of community driven media. They explore why email newsletters are uniquely powerful for local engagement, TJ's data driven growth and monetization strategies, and how local entrepreneurs can transform newsletters into full fledged local media businesses. Links: ⁠Inbox Famous⁠ ⁠TJ Larkin - LinkedIn⁠ ⁠TJ Larkin - X/Twitter⁠ ⁠Local Newsletter Insider⁠ ⁠Larkin Media⁠ ⁠Leander Scoop⁠ --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Paul sits down with Ryan Heafy, COO and Co-Founder of 6AM City, one of the fastest growing local media companies in the U.S. Ryan shares how his background in aerospace engineering and process driven thinking collided with traditional journalism to create a scalable, sustainable local news model. The conversation explores 6AM City's unique approach to content, how they’re leveraging AI for efficiency and expansion, and how 6AM is positioning itself for the future of news without relying on paywalls or nonprofit dollars. Links: Ryan Heafy - LinkedIn 6AM City Behind the Newsletter Slack community 6AM City Newsletter Studio --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to schedule a call⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I'm airing an episode from another podcast that you may be interested in: The Journalism Salute hosted by Mark Simon. On The Journalism Salute, Mark Simon interviews working journalists about who they are and what they do. The emphasis is on a diverse guest list. Half the guests are people of color, more than 60% are women, and there's representation from all 50 states. Gain insight on what you need to know to be a successful journalist in 2025. pod.link/journalismsalute Mark Simon - LinkedIn Jai Smith - LinkedIn Lehigh Daily --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to schedule a call⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Paul talks with Warwick Sabin, President and CEO of Deep South Today, about how his organization is rethinking local journalism in the South through a collaborative, nonprofit model. Based in Mississippi and New Orleans, Deep South Today supports two award winning newsrooms, Mississippi Today and Verite News, and is laying the groundwork for broader regional expansion. Links “Multi-local” newsrooms aim to get more news to more people Deep South Today Mississippi Today Verite News --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to schedule a call⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Paul sits down with Ken Doctor, Founder and CEO of Pulitzer Prize winning newsroom and Lookout Local, to discuss how local journalism can not only survive but thrive in the digital era. From launching a digital first newsroom in Santa Cruz to expanding across the West Coast, Ken shares the strategic building blocks behind Lookout's success: strong models, sustainable funding, and mission driven people. Links: Ken Doctor - LinkedIn Lookout Local Lookout in the Classroom Google News Initiative Catalyst Project The Knight Growth Challenge Fund --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to schedule a call⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Paul sits down with Matthew Watkins, Editor-in-Chief of The Texas Tribune, for a conversation on nonprofit journalism, civic engagement, and navigating polarization in today’s media environment. Matthew shares his journey from local Texas reporting to leading one of the nation's premier nonprofit newsrooms, and offers candid insights into what makes The Tribune unique, from its funding model and newsroom culture to its commitment to transparency and nonpartisanship. Links: The Texas Tribune The Brief T-Squared Blog Texas Tribune Festival Who Funds Us page Matthew Watkins - LinkedIn --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠Click here to schedule a call⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today sits down with Jonathan Kealing, Chief Network Officer at the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), to explore the future of local journalism and the challenges of building, and keeping, an audience. Links: Jonathan Kealing - LinkedIn Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) Journalism without an audience is just creative writing - Jonathan's piece in Editor & Publisher FindYourNews.org – Discover nonprofit news outlets near you NewsMatch – Year-end matching gift campaign for nonprofit news Trusting News – Project focused on rebuilding trust in journalism LION Publishers Local Media Association --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. ⁠⁠Click here to schedule a call⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to my newsletter: ⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Paul sits down with veteran journalist turned UX consultant David LaFontaine to break down what local and niche publishers really need to know about analytics, design, and building trust. From the myths of "data-driven" decisions to the hidden costs of bad UX, David explains how small publishers can use data not just to survive, but to thrive. Links: True Path Analytics FouAnalytics Connect with David: david@truepathanalytics.com David LaFontaine - LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Paul sits down with Anita Li, founder, publisher, and CEO of The Green Line, Toronto’s award-winning hyperlocal news outlet. Anita shares her journey from starting in journalism at age 14 to leading innovative, community-driven media. The Green Line: thegreenline.to TikTok: @greenlineto Instagram: @thegreenlineto and @tglhelps Anita Li’s newsletter, The Other Wave: Subscribe on Substack Reynolds Journalism Institute guide to the Action Journey model --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠Click here to schedule a call⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to my newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Paul sits down with the leadership team at Pittsburgh's Public Source, a nonprofit newsroom based in Pittsburgh, PA, to explore how they’re tapping into micro-influencer partnerships to reach new audiences. What began as an experimental outreach has evolved into a promising strategy to bridge traditional journalism with today’s creator-driven platforms. Read Halle's LinkedIn piece that inspired the episode 📰 Public Source: publicsource.org 📸 Instagram: @publicsource 👤 Follow Halle, Jennie, and Natasha on LinkedIn --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠LocalPod.co⁠, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. ⁠Click here to schedule a call⁠ --- Subscribe to my newsletter: ⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Paul has a quick message about the podcast, when to expect new episodes, and info on an upcoming event that you won't want to miss! Links: Upcoming workshop - Wednesday, April 16th, 9AM MST: Create a Profitable AI Powered Podcast - Register Today --- This podcast is sponsored by LocalPod.co, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. Click here to schedule a call --- Subscribe to my newsletter: https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Paul speaks with Mark Riley and Ed Daniels from Mathison.ai about their innovative project, HANA, which focuses on hyper-personalized autonomous news agents. They discuss their backgrounds in AI, the challenges facing local journalism, and how AI can enhance efficiency and personalization in news delivery. The conversation also touches on the future of local journalism, the role of AI in media, and the potential for new business models in the industry. Links: Mark's interview on The Media Copilot Podcast: Can AI Save Local News? Hana App Mathison.ai Bristol by Hana Newsletter MediaMorph Newsletter Mark Riley - LinkedIn Ed Daniels - LinkedIn --- This podcast is sponsored by LocalPod.co, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. Click here to schedule a call --- Subscribe to my newsletter: https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Paul speaks with with Meghan Murphy and Karolle Rabarison from the Online News Association (ONA) about the evolution of journalism in the digital age, the impact of remote work, and the integration of AI in newsrooms. They discuss their personal journeys to ONA, the organization's mission to support journalists, and the challenges and opportunities presented by AI technology in journalism. Links: Online News Widely Accepted as Credible Highlights from the ONA Digital Credibility Report, presented at the 2001 conference AI case studies: iTromsø THE CITY Connect with ONA: ONA Slack community: journalists.org/slack ONA Weekly, for regular updates: journalists.org/newsletter ONA25: ona25.journalists.org To suggest programming ideas: Pitch a virtual session Pitch ONA25 session Meghan online: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmurphydc/ Email: meghan@journalists.org Karolle online: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karolle/ Email: karolle@journalists.org --- This podcast is sponsored by LocalPod.co, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. Click here to schedule a call --- Subscribe to my newsletter: https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Paul is joined by John Garrett, Founder and CEO of Community Impact based in Austin, Texas. John shares his journey from a radio and newspaper background to establishing a successful hyperlocal news organization and scaling it to over forty editions. John discusses the importance of understanding the intricacies of media ownership, the need for high-quality content, the balance between mission and profit, and even gives Paul a tour of Community Impact's multimillion dollar print facility! Links: John Garrett - LinkedIn Community Impact --- This podcast is sponsored by LocalPod.co, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. Click here to schedule a call --- Subscribe to my newsletter: https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Paul is joined by Kenny Katzgrau, Founder and CEO of Broadstreet and Publisher of Red Bank Green. Kenny tells the story of his journey from software development to digital advertising and local publishing. They explore the challenges faced by local publishers and how Broadstreet aims to support them by providing effective advertising solutions. The conversation also touches on the importance of understanding local businesses' needs and fostering community engagement. Links: Broadstreet Red Bank Green Kenny Katzgrau - LinkedIn Register for Broadstreet's March 12th webinar, "How to Sell Digital Advertising in 30 Minutes": https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/6117405700167/WN_5sUfz4LvSwyj5KmdnklCbQ --- This podcast is sponsored by LocalPod.co, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. Click here to schedule a call --- Subscribe to my newsletter: https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Paul is joined by Ron Fields, Director of Publisher Partnerships at EmpowerLocal, to talk about the concept of news deserts, the challenges faced by local publications, and the innovative solutions being implemented to provide news coverage in underserved areas. Ron also shares insights from his experiences with various publishers and highlights the significance of understanding the unique stories of each publication. Links: EmpowerLocal.com Ron Fields - LinkedIn --- This podcast is sponsored by LocalPod.co, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. Click here to schedule a call --- Subscribe to my newsletter: https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices