Small Press, Big Ideas

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 leveragi...

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...

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” ne...

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 dri...

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...

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 n...

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...

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 Su...

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...

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 ---...

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 med...

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. L...

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 m...

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 import...

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 s...

This week Paul interviews Ned Berke, Chief Strategy Officer of BlueLena, who shares his unconventional journey from journalism to the business side of media. He discusses the challenges local news faces, the importance of reader revenue, and how BlueLena supports publishers in navigating these challenges through consulting, technology, and community engagement.  Links: BlueLena.io Ned Berke - Link...

Today Paul is joined by Christian Scherbel, co-founder of Smartico, a display and video ad platform for SMBs who advertise with local publishers. Christian shares his journey from being an aviation engineer to becoming an entrepreneur in the local advertising space. He touches on the challenges faced by local publishers and small businesses in the digital advertising landscape and how Smartico aim...

Today Paul speaks with Max Kabat, co-owner of the Big Bend Sentinel in Marfa, Texas. They discuss the innovative changes that Max and his co-owner wife have made to The Sentinel since taking it over from long time publishers who were retiring from the legacy print outlet. They talk about the power of community engagement, the evolution of local journalism, and the need for innovative strategies to...

Today Paul speaks with Sean Cullen Carroll, co-founder and CRO of HR Kickstart. They discuss the world of human resources and how it relates to news publishers of all shapes and sizes. Sean explains essential HR support needed for one-person news outlets up to much larger organizations, emphasizing the importance of compliance and strategic planning. The conversation also highlights the significan...

Today Paul speaks with Tim Regan-Porter, CEO of the Colorado Press Association and host of the Local News Matters podcast. They discuss Tim's diverse career path, the role of the Press Association in supporting local journalism, and the unique ecosystem that has emerged in Colorado. The conversation also touches on the challenges facing local newsrooms, the importance of community engagement, and...

On the first episode of season three Paul is joined by Cory Brown, founder of Impact TK and the 99 Newsletter Project. They discuss the evolving landscape of journalism, focusing on the importance of sustainability, audience engagement, and the relationship between editorial and business sides of news organizations. Cory shares his journey from loading newspapers to becoming a consultant for newsr...

Paul shares a quick message about the end of season two of the podcast and when to expect new episodes. --- This podcast is sponsored by LocalPod.co, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. Learn more at https://localpod.co --- Subscribe to my newsletter: https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Paul is joined by Keith Pepper, publisher of Rough Draft Atlanta. Keith shares his journey from a media-obsessed childhood to transforming a legacy newspaper into a modern digital-first media company. He discusses navigating technology changes, building a cohesive brand amongst different community papers, and the importance of neighborhood coverage. Keith also emphasizes the power of newslet...

This week Paul is joined by Kyle Rickhoff and Bob Rose of AlignSimple, a fractional service and strategy company focused on enhancing the success of local media publishers. They discuss the concept of fractional services and the unique offerings that AlignSimple provides for publishers backed by their years in the industry. They also talk about the evolving landscape of media, focusing on the impo...

Today Paul is joined by Graham Colligan, founder of Towns Of: a social media app for local news and events. They talk about the importance of social media and how Towns Of aims to centralize local news and events for communities. Graham shares insights on the business model and competition in the local news aggregator space, emphasizing the need for innovation and community engagement, and a lot m...