Kirk Kern spent decades inside traditional newspapers before launching his own hyperlocal media company in Las Vegas. After losing his job during the 2020 shutdowns, he rebuilt from scratch with a simple model: small monthly newspapers mailed directly to tightly connected neighborhoods.

In this conversation, Kirk explains how he keeps costs low, sells ads to local service businesses, and grows community focused publications that residents actually read. He shares practical lessons from launching multiple neighborhood papers, the realities of selling ads as a journalist, and why hyperlocal print can still be a profitable media business when done right.

Links:

Kirk Kern - LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirkkern/

Hyperlocal Media Nevada

https://hyperlocalmedianv.com/

215 News

https://215news.com/

Mesquite Local News

https://mesquitelocalnews.com/

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Mario Orellana spent three decades inside a television newsroom in San Antonio, working his way from a teenage intern to news director. In this conversation he shares what it was like building a career during massive shifts in the media industry and why local journalism still plays a critical role in communities.

Mario also talks about launching his new venture M.O. Media Co and how journalists can bring their storytelling skills into marketing, consulting, and brand strategy. Along the way he shares lessons on newsroom culture, mentoring the next generation of journalists, and how news organizations should think about AI while protecting trust and credibility.

Links:

Mario Orellana - LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mario-orellana-media/

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This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the audio platform built for local media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

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Today on the podcast Karen Unland, co founder of Taproot Publishing, shares how Taproot evolved from occasional stories into a newsletter driven media engine with sponsorships, memberships, and B2B briefing products. She also discusses how AI tools support their workflow, how they built a large scale local election matching tool, and why their goal is to become Edmonton’s publication of choice.

Links:

Taproot Edmonton

https://edmonton.taproot.news/

Karen Unland

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenunland/

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Jerry Raehal has spent his career inside community newspapers across Colorado, Wyoming, Louisiana, and now Nebraska. In this conversation he shares what he has learned about turning struggling papers into profitable, community focused institutions and why curiosity and experimentation are essential for local media to survive.

We explore how small newspapers are adapting to digital distribution, why local advertising still works, and what many publishers misunderstand about their own audience reach. Jerry also explains how tools like AI and social platforms can help small newsrooms work smarter while staying focused on what matters most serving the community.

Links:

Jerry Raehal - LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-raehal/

OnePress, Powered by the Nebraska Press Association

https://onepressne.com/

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This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

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In this episode, Paul talks with Todd Lemke, publisher and owner of Omaha Magazine LTD. Todd shares the story of how he moved from selling real estate in the early 1980s to building one of Omaha’s most recognized lifestyle media brands.

The conversation explores how local city magazines have evolved over the past four decades, how diversified revenue keeps independent media sustainable, and why niche publishing has remained resilient even as traditional newspapers struggled. Todd also discusses how Omaha’s business community shaped the local media ecosystem and how emerging tools like AI are influencing modern publishing workflows.

Links:

Omaha Magazine

https://www.omahamagazine.com/

Todd Lemke - LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lemketodd/

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Wes Platt, founder and publisher of Southpoint Access, joins the show to share how he built a hyperlocal news outlet serving South Durham and surrounding communities in North Carolina.

With a background in print journalism at the St. Petersburg Times and The Herald Sun, plus experience in video game design and technical writing, Wes brings a unique blend of editorial depth and technical fluency to his independent newsroom.

He discusses why he launched Southpoint Access, how he identified a coverage gap in local schools and development news, and what it takes to run a digital first publication as a solo operator.

Links:

Southpoint Access

https://soduwelikelocal.news/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/wesplattsouthpointaccess

Wes Platt - LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wes-platt-creative/

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In this episode, Paul sits down with Tony Mecia, founder and editor of the Charlotte Ledger, to talk about building a sustainable local news business in 2026. Tony shares how he launched the Ledger as a solo newsletter in 2019 after years at the Charlotte Observer and grew it into a four person newsroom with 5,000 paid subscribers.

They discuss subscription first revenue, the evolution of Substack, the realities of scaling local media, and why original reporting remains a defensible moat, even in the age of AI.

Links:

The Charlotte Ledger

https://www.thecharlotteledger.com/

Tony Mecia

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonymecia/

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This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

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Bryan Vance is building something different in local media. After being laid off in 2025, he launched Stumptown Savings, a hyperlocal newsletter serving Portland residents with one clear mission: help people shop smarter and save money: especially on groceries.

It’s part consumer advocacy, part local journalism, and part service journalism, all grounded in real data.

Links:

Bryan Vance

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanmvance/

Stumptown Savings

https://stumptownsavings.com/

CurioCity Collective

https://www.curiocitycollective.co/

This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

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Veteran journalist Frank Scandale, News Director at the Asbury Park Press, joins Paul to unpack 45 years in local news: from typewriters to Twitter, from Columbine to 9/11, and from booming newsrooms to today’s lean investigative teams.

Frank shares firsthand insight into covering historic tragedies as a local newsroom leader, the evolving fight for public records, and why deep-dive journalism remains essential to democracy. He also reflects on where the industry stumbled in the digital transition and why he’s still optimistic about its future.

Links:

Frank Scandale

https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankscandale/

Asbury Park Press

http://www.app.com/

This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

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Chris Fusco, Executive Editor of The Sacramento Bee, joins the show to talk about leading a 169 year old newsroom into the future of local journalism.

From his early days covering suburban night meetings in Chicago to overseeing investigative teams in Houston and California, Chris reflects on the evolution of local news, the realities of competition, and why the “demise of local journalism” has been greatly exaggerated.

Links:

Chris Fusco

[email protected]

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-fusco/

The Sacramento Bee

https://www.sacbee.com/

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