Columns
Why local journalism needs a funding pipeline
Tech and philanthropic institutions are giving thousands of $5,000 to $250,000 grants to individual newsrooms, but… then what?
What’s Working: Newsletters may be reaching their limits, but there’s hope beyond the inbox
Email newsletters are thriving, but their ascendancy in today’s media brings with it a certain foreboding: Given how successful the format has been the past few years — and how many writers have turned to newsletter platforms like Substack to build their personal brands and possibly earn some real money — it feels almost inevitable there … Continued
Local news: Filling in the future gaps
Paul Graham, the founder of tech accelerator Y Combinator, famously advises aspiring entrepreneurs to “Live in the future, then build what’s missing.” To him, the most successful founders don’t come up with startup ideas by solving the problems of today. They notice something that’s missing in the current landscape and they envision how their business … Continued
The secrets of successful newsletters
From subject lines to welcome campaigns, these are the most important things to get right
Afro-American’s archives reveal the fight for Black women’s right to vote — and the battles beyond
The Black women of Baltimore weren’t content to simply celebrate the ratification of the 19th Amendment, 100 years go this month. They intended to use its power. With only two months to prepare, suffrage leaders immediately began organizing to educate other Black women about how they could take advantage of this new right in the … Continued
Redefining local journalism: What is news?
Since the advent of the Internet, many people have increasingly wondered: What is “news” in a universe of infinite information? What is a journalist’s role when anyone can publish a story and report the “Truth”? David Caswell, Executive Product Manager of BBC News Labs, asks the most urgent question of all: “Does society still need news publishers … Continued
Newsroom Notes: Leading through uncertainty
What does Ulysses Grant have to do with being a newsroom leader? Read on.
Why the email newsletter is 2020’s MVP format
Newsletters are surging, and it’s not just a COVID thing
Thanks to COVID-19, local news will never be the same. And it shouldn’t be
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted our routines, transformed our social interactions and redefined our relationships. Yet, as odd as it sounds, we’ll likely come to appreciate some of the changes this crisis wrought. Panic has a knack for dislodging lethargy. In local news, this lethargy — in the form of a steadily declining but still … Continued
Newsroom Notes: The more things change, the more they stay the same?
When it comes to the global pandemic we find ourselves in, are you tired of hearing the quote attributed to Winston Churchill? “Never waste a good crisis.”