Kenny Katzgrau, majority owner of redbankgreen and founder of Broadstreet, shares his vision for revitalizing community journalism. He discusses strategies to  help hyperlocal websites and small community weeklies thrive. 

Katzgrau’s approach involves enhancing advertising efficacy and community engagement through digital tools, advocating for news that not only informs but also engages and uplifts the community. He calls for a balance of serious journalism with elements of fun, suggesting that a vibrant local news outlet can profoundly impact its community by reflecting a broader, more inclusive view of news coverage.

Katzgrau provides very practical tips on making digital advertising work for local businesses and for long-term financial sustainability of news outlets.

 

Episode chapters:

(02:35) - From serving publishers to becoming one

(07:43) - Sustainable is not enough. How about prosperity?

(12:12) - Experimenting to serve advertisers

(15:47) - Recruiting the community to cover stories you can’t

(21:37) - The importance of fun in work

(24:54) - The importance of fun for readers

(28:32) - The business owner mindset vs. the reporter mindset

(31:12) - Advertising as telling the story of local businesses

(35:26) - Beyond CPM buy. Start with what you need.

(40:40) - Nurturing advertiser relationships and automating tasks

(44:08) - The Broadstreet ad manager platform

(49:11) - Rapid-fire questions

 

Links:

• Kenny Katzgrau: LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Medium

• redbankgreen

• Broadstreet

• Local News Matters: web, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

• Colorado Press Association: web, Twitter, Facebook

• Tim Regan-Porter: bio, Twitter

 

For show notes, transcripts, newsletter sign-up and past guests on the Local News Matters podcast, please visit localnewsmatterspodcast.com or lnmpod.com.

Past guests on the Local News Matters podcast include: John Garrett (Community Impact), Shannon Kinney (Dream Local Digital), Larry Ryckman (The Colorado Sun),  Frank Mungeam (Local Media Association), Kelly Ann Scott (Alabama Media Group), Sara Lomax and S. Mitra Kalita (URL Media), Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro (National Trust for Local News), Mike Rispoli and Richard Young (via When the People Decide), Sarabeth Berman (American Journalism Project), Rabbi Hillel Goldberg and Shana Goldberg (Intermountain Jewish News),  Lyndsay C. Green (via The Journalism Salute), Rashad Mahmood and Mark Glaser (New Mexico Local News Fund), Christian Vanek and Barbara Hardt (The Mountain-Ear), Dan Grech (BizHack), Zack Richner (Easy Tax Credits), Tracie Powell (Pivot Fund), Dan Oshinsky (Inbox Collective), Linda Shapley (via What Works), Yehong Zhu and Jake Seaton (Zette, Column), Charity Huff (January Spring), Joaquin Alvarado and Dave Perry (Aurora Sentinel), Steve Waldman (Rebuild Local News), Maritza Félix (Conecta Arizona), Michael Bolden (American Press Institute), Jeff Roberts and Corey Hutchins (CFOIC, Colorado College), Eve Pearlman and Erica Anderson (Spaceship Media), Jennifer Brandel (Hearken, Democracy SOS), Corey Hutchins with Bay Edwards, Todd Chamberlain and Raleigh Burleigh (Sopris Sun).