David Arkin returns to the podcast to talk about the format reshaping local media right now: vertical video. He breaks down why reels are no longer a young person's medium, why dropping a two and a half minute TV segment into the feed never works, and what actually does. The conversation gets specific, from green screen and split screen formats to a TV anchor who built a sustainable rhythm by repackaging quick hit stories at her desk.

David also gets into the money question head on. He explains how publishers become eligible for Meta monetization regardless of follower count, how reels can be built into branded content packages and sold as standalone series, and why posting two or three reels a day beats flooding the feed.

Links:

davidarkinconsulting.com

Connect with David

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidarkin11/

email: [email protected]

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

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Donnell Suggs is editor in chief of the Atlanta Voice, Atlanta's only Black newspaper, which marked its 60th anniversary in May without ever missing an issue. He joins the show to talk about two decades of reporting in Georgia, what it means to run a free community paper where ads, not subscriptions, pay the bills, and why political campaigns and local institutions spend money to reach his readers.

Links:

Donnell Suggs - LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnell-suggs-90287a26/

The Atlanta Voice

https://theatlantavoice.com/

on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/theatlantavoice

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

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Peter Stuart spent 20 years in journalism before quitting his editorial role at in late 2025 to build an AI-powered publishing platform called Velora. In this conversation, he walks through what that platform actually does: a news discovery engine that monitors hundreds of sources across multiple languages, an AI co-writing tool that challenges and strengthens copy, automated CMS population, social image generation, and a verification layer that can block publication until flagged errors are resolved.

The conversation gets into the editorial philosophy behind it all. Peter argues that the real value of AI in a newsroom isn't replacing judgment but eliminating the repetitive work that crowds it out.

Links:

Velora

https://velora.build/

Peter Stuart contact info:

[email protected]

LinkedIn

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

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

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Lorne London has been publishing in Toronto since 1989, starting with an eight page community newspaper in his unheated basement. Today his company reaches 200,000 print readers a month and 1.4 million social media followers, while every competitor he once had in the city has folded.

In this conversation, Lorne breaks down the mindset that has kept him standing: stop chasing home runs and hit singles instead. He talks about building an Instagram presence that operates like an indie rock station, why he refuses to cover negative news, and how he grew a massive audience without paying the algorithm. He also shares what he calls "revenue agnosticism" and why local publishers struggling for survival need to fight the battle where they are strongest, not where their competitors are.

Links:

Streets of Toronto

https://streetsoftoronto.com/

on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/streetsoftoronto

---

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

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T.J. Ortenzi is the Deputy Managing Editor of Audience and Digital at the Baltimore Banner. T.J. spent 11 years at the Washington Post before joining the Banner specifically because it would let him cover the city where he actually lives.

In this conversation, T.J. breaks down how the Banner has built audience through social video, including a now legendary Big Short inspired video that drove real subscription starts. He also gets into how the newsroom thinks about moving followers to owned channels, the role of their social anchors, and an interesting AI grant project with the Lenfest Institute.

Links:

The Baltimore Banner

https://www.thebanner.com/

T.J. Ortenzi

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

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

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Melissa Barragán Taboada spent nearly three decades in legacy journalism, including more than 20 years covering Austin and a stint at the Boston Globe, before making the leap into nonprofit local news. She's now editor in chief of the Austin Current, a nonprofit newsroom launched under the Texas Tribune umbrella focused on education, local government, and growth and development in one of the fastest changing cities in the country.

Links:

Melissa Barragán Taboada - LinkedIn

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

Austin Current

https://austincurrent.org/

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

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Eli Wohlenhaus, Director of Digital and AI News Strategy at Adams Multimedia, started out skeptical of AI in the newsroom. Now he leads training sessions across a network of local newspapers in 20 states, helping editors figure out where these tools actually fit into their day-to-day work.

In this conversation, Eli gets specific about what AI integration looks like inside a real local news operation: running police logs through LLMs, using Claude for brainstorming when juggling multiple publications, and experimenting with AI-assisted podcasts and video products.

Links:

Eli Wohlenhaus - LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-wohlenhaus-274212a4/

Adams MultiMedia

https://adamsmultimedia.com/

DC Military

https://www.dcmilitary.com/

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

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Sara Hebel is the co-founder and editor in chief of Open Campus, a nonprofit news organization built on the idea that higher education is fundamentally a local story. In this conversation, she walks through how Open Campus embeds reporters directly inside partner newsrooms across the country, combining subject matter expertise in higher education with each outlet's knowledge of its own community.

Links:

Open Campus

https://www.opencampus.org/

Sara Hebel - LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-hebel/

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

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Aron Pilhofer has spent three decades at some of the most recognizable names in journalism, from the New York Times to the Guardian, and now serves as Chief Product and Membership Officer at Chicago Public Media, home of WBEZ and the Chicago Sun Times. He joins the show to talk about what drew him to one of the more unusual mergers in local media, and where he sees the industry heading.

Links:

Aron Pilhofer - LinkedIn

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

Chicago Public Media

https://www.chicagopublicmedia.org/

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

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Rebecca Klein, publisher at New York Focus, traces an unlikely path from national education reporter to leader of one of New York's most impactful nonprofit newsrooms. In five years, the outlet grew from a scrappy $75,000 seed-funded operation to a full-time team of 16, powered almost entirely by donor support.

Rebecca breaks down how New York Focus reaches readers through daily newsletters, a syndication network spanning dozens of outlets, live events, and social video, all centered on translating Albany politics for everyday New Yorkers.

Links:

New York Focus

https://nysfocus.com/

Rebecca Klein socials:

Bluesky

https://bsky.app/profile/rebsklein.bsky.social

Twitter/X

https://x.com/rklein90/

LinkedIn

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

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

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