Keep It Local | Local Media Association

Artificial intelligence is creating new possibilities for local newsrooms — including finding stories that they might not otherwise know about. In this episode of Keep It Local, host Ryan Welton sits down with Jim Haddadin, investigative editor at Connecticut Public, and Susan Bell, senior director of data and digital services, to discuss the organization's award-winning Public Meeting Monitor. Th...

The journalism profession is undergoing significant change, leaving many media professionals wondering what comes next. In this episode of Keep It Local , host Ryan Welton talks with Bridget Thoreson, founder of MyCareerRiver, about the realities of navigating journalism careers in an era of layoffs, disruption, entrepreneurship, and rapid technological change. Drawing from interviews with more th...

Podcasting can feel intimidating for local media organizations. Questions about equipment, studios, editing, distribution and monetization often stop projects before they begin. In this special episode of "Keep It Local," host Ryan Welton turns the microphone on himself to discuss his new LMII Innovation Insights report on podcasting and explain why he believes podcasts have become one of the most...

What happens when a journalist sees critical gaps between communities and local media? For Ruby Jones, the answer was to build something entirely new. Ruby is the founder of Empower Media Exchange , a Colorado-based nonprofit dedicated to community storytelling, media literacy, youth engagement and civic information. Her innovative work earned her Local Media Association's 2025 Digital Innovation...

Local Media Association revealed its 2025 Digital Innovation Awards on Wednesday, celebrating the local media organizations, journalists and teams pushing the industry forward through creativity, audience engagement and innovation. Presented in partnership with Upland Second Street, this year’s awards honored impactful work across audience growth, storytelling, AI, product development, public serv...

This special anniversary episode of Keep It Local , a podcast from the Local Media Association, looks back at a full year of conversations with leaders across the local news industry. Host Ryan Welton highlights the biggest takeaways on revenue, AI, audience trust, and innovation — all focused on one mission: helping local media organizations build sustainable business models. 🔑 What you’ll learn...

Vertical video is rapidly becoming one of the most powerful tools available to local media companies — both for audience engagement and new revenue opportunities. In this episode of Keep It Local, Ryan Welton speaks with David Arkin of David Arkin Consulting about the findings from his recent LMII report on the opportunity for media companies using Reels and vertical video. They discuss how platfo...

For decades, “Best Of” programs have been associated with newspapers. But broadcast stations are increasingly discovering they may be even better positioned to win in this space. Julie Foley of Second Street joins Ryan Welton to explain how TV and radio stations are: Generating six-figure annual revenue Growing newsletter lists by thousands Capturing first- and zero-party data Building stronger ad...

Third-party data is fading. Privacy regulations are tightening. Platform referrals are shrinking. So what’s the plan? On this episode of Keep It Local , Ryan Welton is joined by Todd Handy , CEO of Disruptive Impact, to discuss his latest LMII report: Winning with Zero and First-Party Data . Todd explains: What zero-party is (and how it differs from first-party data) Why anonymous impressions are...

Ethan Holland joins the Keep It Local podcast from Local Media Association to discuss the real state of AI in 2026 — from newsroom workflows and ethics to emerging tools that are reshaping how journalists work. Key Topics Why AI mirrors the early internet Multimodal AI and information digestion Prompting strategies that actually work Ethics, accountability and newsroom policy Likeness and trust Pr...

As artificial intelligence becomes more common in journalism, one question matters most: what do audiences actually think about newsrooms using AI? In this episode of Keep It Local , host Ryan Welton is joined by John M. Humenik , Chief Strategy and Operations Officer for Local Media Association , and Lynn Walsh , Assistant Director of Trusting News , to unpack findings from a new national survey...

Lookout Local turns five this year — and its story offers one of the clearest roadmaps yet for rebuilding local journalism. In this episode of Keep It Local , host Ryan Welton talks with Ken Doctor, founder and CEO of Lookout Local, and Ashley Harmon, the organization’s chief of staff, about how Lookout launched during one of the most turbulent moments in modern journalism — and emerged with a sus...

Giving Tuesday strategies for newsrooms with LMA’s Kristyn Cooper Show Notes: On this episode of Keep It Local , host Ryan Welton sits down with Kristyn Cooper, director of fundraising initiatives at the Local Media Association, to explore how local newsrooms can make the most of Giving Tuesday. Cooper shares insights from two decades in the nonprofit world—covering how to normalize fundraising, c...

In this episode of Keep It Local , host Ryan Welton interviews Todd Handy , founder of Disruptive Impact and board member for the Local Media Association , about his new report, The SaaS-ification of Media . Handy shares how local publishers can learn from software companies by focusing on recurring revenue, retention and customer lifetime value . Listeners will learn: What “SaaS-ification” means...

Description: In this episode of Keep It Local , Ryan Welton talks with Dana Piccoli , managing director of News Is Out , about the LGBTQ+ Media Mapping Project — a first-of-its-kind national effort to document where queer news outlets exist, how they’re sustaining, and what it will take to secure their future. Mapping the Future of LGBTQ+ Media with Dana Piccoli of News Is Out Description: In this...

In this episode of Keep It Local , host Ryan Welton of Local Media Association sits down with John Rust, Sho Rust, and Michael Machiah to talk about PubGen. AI , an AI-powered content management system built by PubGen. AI and Rust Communications . Learn how PubGen.ai is transforming newsrooms with AI-driven efficiency, grounded in local journalism ethics and archives. The team shares why they buil...

At a time when many local newsrooms fear artificial intelligence, The Baltimore Times is leaning in. In this episode of Keep It Local , host Ryan Welton talks with Paris Brown — one of Local Media Association’s Digital Innovators of the Year — about how a 40-year-old community paper is using AI, AR and VR to serve its audience in fresh, creative ways. Brown shares how the Times is: Making health c...

Description: Back-to-school isn’t just a moment on the calendar — it’s a major opportunity for local newsrooms to deliver value, grow audience, and drive new revenue. In this episode of Keep It Local , Ryan Welton talks with David Arkin, founder of David Arkin Consulting, about practical, proven strategies for turning back-to-school content into audience-building, SEO-friendly, and sponsor-ready c...

In this episode of Keep It Local , host Ryan Welton talks with Bethany Lane, revenue strategist at QCity Metro in Charlotte, N.C., and a Local Media Association Innovator of the Year. Bethany shares how she helped the Black-owned digital publication grow from about 100 donors to record fundraising campaigns — all by getting comfortable with direct asks, using human-centered video and deeply unders...

In this episode of Keep It Local , Ryan Welton sits down with Liz White Notarangelo, co-CEO of Local Media Association and Local Media Foundation, for a frank and energizing conversation on the real work of newsroom transformation. Liz brings deep experience as a fifth-generation publisher who led a legacy newsroom through digital transformation—and now helps lead innovation across the local media...

John Celestand joins Keep It Local host Ryan Welton to talk about his work with the Knight x LMA BloomLab. 🎙️ Topics Covered: What the Knight x LMA BloomLab is and how it works Supporting 25 Black-owned newsrooms across the U.S. Lessons learned from 3 years of digital transformation AI's evolving role in local media Why community trust must be earned again and again The unique role of Black-owned...

Episode 2 title: Collaboration over competition: How Oklahoma Media Center is strengthening local news Episode description / show notes: In this episode of Keep It Local , host Ryan Welton chats with Rob Collins, executive director of the Oklahoma Media Center, about how a statewide collaborative is helping newsrooms band together to tackle big challenges—and build a stronger future for local jour...

Episode 1 title: Storytelling that pays: Inside the Branded Content Project Episode description / show notes: In our debut episode of Keep It Local , host Ryan Welton sits down with Shannon Kinney, founder of Dream Local Digital and longtime LMA collaborator, to unpack the power of branded content — storytelling that builds audience and revenue. They discuss: What branded content is (and isn’t) Ho...