Tim Franklin

Medill State of Local News with Tim Franklin

News EN ↓ 6 episodes

From news deserts to thriving local news outlets, The State of Local News podcast takes you inside America’s journalism landscape. Host Tim Franklin, Medill Professor and John M. Mutz Chair in Local News, speaks with reporters, editors, and media leaders about the forces transforming local journalism. Each episode explores how communities stay informed, the challenges newsrooms face, and the innovations helping local reporting survive and thrive in the digital age.

Author

Tim Franklin

Episodes

Lenfest Institute CEO Jim Friedlich on What’s Working in Local News: Beneficial Ownership Combined with Strong User Revenues 07.07.2026 31:14

Friedlich joins Tim Franklin on the State of Local News Podcast to reflect on the Lenfest Institute's decade-long journey to becoming one of the most influential journalism organizations in the country: investing more than $117 million in more than 600 news organizations and initiatives to support local news innovation, business sustainability and newsroom transformation. He also discusses The...

Axios Local's Holly Moore on Newsletters, Networks and AI 22.06.2026 31:31

What does it mean to "use the whole buffalo" in local journalism? For Axios Local Executive Editor Holly Moore, it means finding ways to adapt reporting across platforms while maintaining strong community connections and sustainable business models. In this episode, Moore joins Tim Franklin to discuss Axios Local's expansion across 37 markets in the United States, the philosophy behi...

Leading Through a Pivotal Moment | NPR CEO Katherine Maher on Public Media’s Future and the Local News Crisis 27.05.2026 29:52

Katherine Maher, president and CEO of NPR, joins Tim Franklin to discuss the future of public media in a rapidly changing local news landscape. Maher reflects on NPR’s recent restructuring, the impact of federal funding cuts, and the role of local stations in rebuilding civic trust. The conversation also explores NPR’s investment in digital and video storytelling, and why public media remains esse...

Why Local News is Like Craft Beer | Chuck Todd on Audience, Trust, and the Future of Local News 04.05.2026 33:40

In this episode of the Medill State of Local News Podcast, Tim Franklin speaks with journalist and podcaster Chuck Todd about the collapse and reinvention of local news in America. Todd reflects on why trust in national media has eroded, arguing that it was always rooted in local journalism. He discusses emerging business models, from cooperatives to membership and ad networks, and explores how co...

Growing an Audience in the Digital Age | Ben Cotton on The New York Times’ Growth, Product, and Subscriptions 13.04.2026 31:37

In this episode of the State of Local News Podcast , host Tim Franklin, Professor, John M. Mutz Chair in Local News, and founding director of the Medill Local News Initiative speaks with Ben Cotton, General Manager for News at The New York Times. They discuss: The shift from advertising to a subscription-first model The rise of product bundles (games, cooking, sports, Wirecutter) How product, dat...

Medill State of Local News with Tim Franklin | Steve Grove on AI, Building Trust and Reinventing the Minnesota Star Tribune 24.03.2026 30:21

In the inaugural episode of the State of Local News Podcast , host Tim Franklin, Professor, John M. Mutz Chair in Local News, and founding director of the Medill Local News Initiative, sits down with Steve Grove, CEO and publisher of the Minnesota Star Tribune. In this conversation, they discuss: Grove’s unconventional journey from Google executive to leading one of the nation’s largest regional n...