Chris Krug has spent more than 30 years in journalism, but his real education came from getting fired, working in franchising, and traveling internationally before returning to the industry with a clearer vision of what local news actually needs. As CEO of the Franklin News Foundation and publisher of the Center Square, he built a nonpartisan government accountability newswire from four people in a garage to a team of 60 reaching more than 1,300 partner outlets and 141 million US adults daily.

In this conversation, Chris unpacks the Center Square's unusual hybrid business model, the tension between editorial independence and financial sustainability, and why the wave of foundation-funded "lab journalism" quietly reshaping American newsrooms deserves far more scrutiny than it is getting.

Links:

The Center Square

https://www.thecentersquare.com/

Chris Krug - LinkedIn

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

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

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Ron Sylvester shares how Comma Community Journalism Lab is rethinking local news with a hybrid nonprofit model that blends subscriptions, philanthropy, and community driven advertising. At the center is a bold transition of The Spokesman Review into community ownership, backed by broad local support ranging from small individual donors to major institutions. The conversation explores how partnerships with schools, paid student journalism programs, and a renewed commitment to print are shaping a more sustainable future.

Links:

Ron Sylvester - LinkedIn

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

Comma Community Journalism Lab

https://www.comma.cm/

The Spokesman-Review

https://www.spokesman.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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Gary Lavariere, publisher of the Berkshire Eagle, shares how a locally owned newspaper is growing in an industry that many assume is in decline. From launching a paywall early to expanding into printing, digital marketing, and niche publications, he breaks down the revenue mix that is actually working today.

Gary also talks about why he sees AI as both a powerful tool and a major existential threat, and why protecting the value of journalism may be the defining challenge of the next decade.

Links:

The Berkshire Eagle

https://www.berkshireeagle.com/

Gary Lavariere

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-lavariere-72309712b/

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

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AI is no longer a future trend in media. It is actively reshaping how journalism is produced, distributed, and monetized. Pete Pachal breaks down the shift from generative AI to agentic systems and explains why workflows, not just tools, are being completely redefined.

This conversation dives into the growing divide between those embracing AI and those resisting it, and what that means for newsrooms, especially at the local level.

Links:

The Media Copilot

https://mediacopilot.ai/

Pete Pachal - LinkedIn

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

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

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Louis Amestoy shares his unconventional journey through local journalism and how he ultimately built a one person media company serving Kerr County, Texas. From traditional newspapers to launching his own independent outlet, he explains what broke inside legacy media and what still works when you start fresh.

The conversation dives into the realities of running a daily newsroom alone, how AI tools like Claude and NotebookLM act as force multipliers, and what it takes to stay relevant through constant audience contact. Louis also reflects on covering a devastating flood, the gaps in industry collaboration, and why local journalism still depends on independence, speed, and trust.

Links:

The Kerr County Lead

https://kerrcountylead.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/thekerrcountylead

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@thekerrcountylead

Louis Amestoy - LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-amestoy-b945a06/

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

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Hal Cohen, CEO of BridgeTower Media, shares how a company with more than 40 B2B brands is navigating a rapidly evolving media landscape. Drawing from a background in finance, Hal explains how focusing on audience communities rather than geography has shaped the company’s strategy and growth.

The conversation dives into what is actually driving revenue today, from live events to data powered digital marketing, and how AI is being used behind the scenes to improve efficiency and unlock new monetization opportunities.

Links:

BridgeTower Media

https://bridgetowermedia.com/

Hal Cohen - LinkedIn

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

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

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Eric Larson joins the podcast to talk about the future of local news. After decades across journalism, marketing, and consulting, he shares why traditional revenue streams are no longer enough and where real opportunity is emerging.

The conversation explores a modern take on the agency model powered by AI, the untapped potential of business services, and why people and culture often hold organizations back from innovation. Eric also lays out what a successful local news company could look like in five years and why trust, digital leadership, and experimentation are essential to getting there.

Links:

The Organizational Detectives

https://www.theorgdetectives.com/

Eric Larson - LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-larson-2931405/

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

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Grant Marek joins the show to share how he helped transform SFGATE into one of the most read news sites on the West Coast. By focusing on reader interests and underserved regions, he grew the newsroom from 21 to 60 journalists while expanding coverage across California, national parks, and beyond.

The conversation explores what it takes to grow local journalism today, how emotional connection drives readership, and why good reporting still wins even as AI and platform changes reshape the industry. Grant also breaks down how SFGATE uses AI behind the scenes while keeping journalism human at its core.

Links:

SFGATE

https://www.sfgate.com/

Grant Marek - LinkedIn

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

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

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James Capo, CEO of Omeda, breaks down why most media companies are making growth harder than it needs to be. Instead of treating audience as a unified asset, many teams are stuck managing disconnected tools and fragmented data, creating what he calls the 'Frankenstack'. His core argument is simple but powerful: audience management is not just a tech problem, it is a workflow problem.

This episode dives into how modern media businesses should think about audience identity across products like newsletters, podcasts, and events, why first party data needs a clearer definition in the age of AI, and one overlooked tactic local publishers should adopt immediately.

Links:

Omeda

https://www.omeda.com/

Sign up for OX9 in Chicago

https://ox.omeda.com/

James Capo - LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-capo-a79b3b3/

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

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Karen Schneider shares how she launched and grew multiple local newspapers in Wisconsin at a time when most of the industry was retreating from print. With a background in advertising rather than journalism, she explains how understanding revenue and community needs shaped a model built on every door delivery, free access, and strong local coverage.

Links:

Karen Schneider - LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-schneider-4684634/

Winnebago Media Group

https://winnebagomediagroup.com/

Oshkosh Herald

https://oshkoshherald.com/

Neenah News

https://neenahnewsnow.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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