The Pivot Fund Pod

In this episode, Tracie Powell speaks with John Adams, founder of Local News Day and Montana Free Press, about a new national effort to reconnect communities with trusted local news. They discuss the growing gap between trust and visibility in local journalism, why hyperlocal outlets — especially those serving underrepresented communities — are often overlooked, and how Local News Day aims to brin...

In this episode of The Pivot Fund Pod , host Haeven Gibbons talks with MLK50’s Co-Executive Directors, Ayanna Watkins and Adrienne Martin, about how co-leadership strengthens justice-centered journalism, deepens accountability to community needs, and helps prevent burnout in local news. They share how their lived experiences shape their roles, how shared decision-making works day to day, and what...

In this episode of the Pivot Fund Pod, Tracie Powell, founder and CEO of The Pivot Fund, speaks with Oscar Guevara from MG News. When veteran reporter Mario Guevara was detained by ICE, Atlanta’s Hispanic community lost a vital source of trusted news and information. In this webinar, The Pivot Fund CEO Tracie Powell sits down with Mario’s son, Oscar Guevara, to discuss what it has taken to keep MG...

In this episode of The Pivot Fund Pod, Tracie Powell, founder and CEO of The Pivot Fund, speaks with Myers Reece, an Asian American journalist and leader of Underscore Native News, a newsroom focused on indigenous-centered journalism in the Pacific Northwest. They discuss the challenges and insights of leading a newsroom dedicated to a community different from one's own, building trust and the imp...

In this episode of The Pivot Fund Pod, CEO Tracie Powell talks with media entrepreneur and independent journalist Georgia Fort about her successful news outlet BLCK Press , her nonprofit work at the Center for Broadcast Journalism to grow the next generation of journalists, and how she is thinking strategically about trust and the media landscape of the future from her home state of Minnesota.   ...

In a recent Word on the Street interview, with Cumulus Media, CEO Tracie Powell shared how The Pivot Fund supports community-rooted newsrooms. It’s not just about funding—it’s about building real, lasting infrastructure. She spotlighted partners like Courier Eco Latino and BeeTV , each transforming access and revenue in their communities. Our approach is simple: trust media founders to lead. You k...

This NotebookLM podcast episode discusses strategies for nonprofit media organizations to engage their boards of directors in fundraising. The conversation features the Pivot Fund's board chair and two nonprofit CEOs who share their experiences and tactics for recruiting diverse board members, setting clear expectations, and fostering strong communication. They emphasize the importance of storytel...

In this episode, produced with Notebook LM, our AI hosts explore Tracie Powell and The Pivot Fund's research on the changing American news landscape by focusing on the state of Michigan.   Increasingly, The Pivot Fund finds citizens are moving away from traditional news sources and instead seeking reliable information from independent outlets. Powell's research with The Pivot Fund reveals a rising...

In this episode of The Pivot Fund Pod, Tracie Powell leads a discussion on the pivotal role of philanthropic intermediaries in supporting local and independent news outlets.   Powell is joined by Carolyn Powers of Internews and the Listening Post Collective, Luella Brien of Four Points Press, and Saba Long of Atlanta Civic Circle. They share their experiences, challenges, and the critical need for...

Kaylan Martin, principal of Blue Umbrella Strategies, and Kimberly Griffin, co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Mississippi Free Press, joined The Pivot Fund's Kimberly Spencer for an insightful webinar on mastering donor stewardship strategies. The trio delved into the art of donor engagement with a focus on hyperlocal newsrooms and fundraisers of color, both facing unique challenges. Discove...

The latest Pivot Publisher Series webinar explored the question, “Is your newsroom ripe for revenue?” The panelists described a deep connection with their audience as the key to both editorial and business success, the importance of diverse revenue streams and the significance of relationships. Panelists:  Todd Stauffer, Author,  Digital Revenue Playbook, Executive Director, Association of Alterna...

Amid all the hand-wringing over Sinclair Broadcasting chairman David Smith buying the Baltimore Sun, hardly anyone mentioned that he did it in partnership with Black businessman Armstrong Williams, who is now the first African American to own a major metropolitan newspaper since Bob Maynard bought and revitalized the Oakland Tribune four decades ago. Like Smith, Williams is a conservative, but in...

Who do you need on your team? The hiring process can be daunting, and making the right choices about who to bring on board and when can have a major impact on your newsroom. Zuri Berry, The Baltimore Banner's digital strategy editor; Lisa Snowden, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Baltimore Beat; Susan Gluck Pappajohn, a talent and organizational strategy consultant; and Madeleine Bair, foundi...

In the latest Pivot Publisher Series episode, The Kansas City Defender’s Ryan Sorrell, AfroLA’s Dana Amihere, and Haitian Times’ Garry Pierre-Pierre share innovative strategies to reach Black audiences and share news they can use, including impactful community-based programs, surveys, and social media strategies. The founders also delve into the (sometimes complicated) relationship between digital...

The Pivot Publisher Series aims to equip hyperlocal BIPOC publishers and news leaders with tools, strategies and tactics to support their growth and continued success. Each month, we will gather industry experts, experienced publishers, news leaders and more to share their expertise, best practices and tools to shed light on a variety of topics including organizational design, how to hire top tale...

At The Pivot Fund, we know true empowerment for community-led news outlets goes beyond the headlines. It's about providing the necessary tools and support to drive sustainable growth and success. That's why we're thrilled to partner with Justworks, a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), to bring you an exciting opportunity! The Just Thrive program offers women and minority-owned businesses a...

BIPOC news leaders have a hard time overcoming racial bias to find funding and support. Black women are starting businesses at the fastest clip of any other racial group . Many of these startups don’t reach their full potential — or fail — in part because they can't raise the capital to start or sustain their businesses. In that spirit, The Pivot Fund held an intimate conversation between Amethyst...

The Pivot Fund CEO Tracie Powell and Northeastern University associate professor Dr. Meredith Clark discuss the unique difficulties BIPOC-led news organizations and startups face. This conversation is moderated by Melanie Sill, the founding executive director of the NC Local News Workshop at Elon University. The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 mill...

Raising funds is hard! But it doesn’t have to be. In this panel discussion, we review strategies for turning members of your board of directors into effective fundraisers by tapping into their wealth of knowledge, connections, and resources. Panelists included:   Kyra Kyles — CEO of YR Media Elisa Lees Muñoz — Executive Director of the International Women’s Media Foundation Jamaal Glenn , The Pivo...

Economists are forecasting a “mild” recession in 2023. That’s driven by inflation, higher interest rates, and a tight labor market. What can news publishers and entrepreneurs do to prepare for an economic downturn? Listen for an assessment of the current economic climate for journalism and advice on how small and bootstrapped newsrooms can survive a recession. Panelists included: Glenn Burkins — F...

What does it mean to be Black media? And how can media that targets Black audiences be culturally competent? The Pivot Fund and Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press hosted this conversation on Feb. 23, 2022, about Black media ownership and the support systems they need to be successful and serve the Black community. Tracie Powell , The Pivot Fund's CEO, moderated the discussion with Kamesh...

Dr. Marisela Martinez-Cola , professor of sociology at Morehouse College, and Meena Thiruvengadam , an audience development consultant and former global head of audience engagement for Bloomberg, discuss the demographic changes currently underway in the South and how publishers can connect with new Black, Brown, and Asian community members.  The conversation was hosted by The Pivot Fund on Septemb...

S. Mitra Kalita , the publisher of Epicenter-NYC, talks about leaving behind a high-profile job at CNN and a guaranteed paycheck to launch her own brand. Kalita joined The Pivot Fund on Oct. 27, 2021, to discuss how she’s part of the movement to reimagine community-centered journalism and how Epicenter-NYC grew newsletters into an empire.   This conversation is co-moderated by The Pivot Fund's chi...

Board development might be one of the driest topics of conversation when it comes to entrepreneurship. It's also one of the hardest things to do, especially in the journalism business, where many publishers want to recruit people who are in the industry and have a working knowledge about news media and the ethics that govern it. However, despite its lack of appeal, building a strong board of direc...

More than $2.7 billion has been invested in the journalism ecosystem . That influx of cash has led many news outlets to seek development staff for the first time. But hiring development staff isn’t easy. These are professionals who are in demand but short in supply. It takes special expertise to raise money for journalistic institutions. And for many news outlets, it might not be necessary or the...