Paul shares a quick message about the end of season two of the podcast and when to expect new episodes.

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Today Paul is joined by Keith Pepper, publisher of Rough Draft Atlanta.

Keith shares his journey from a media-obsessed childhood to transforming a legacy newspaper into a modern digital-first media company. He discusses navigating technology changes, building a cohesive brand amongst different community papers, and the importance of neighborhood coverage. Keith also emphasizes the power of newsletters as a new form of local journalism and the strategic shift towards high value, low volume advertising.

Links:

https://roughdraftatlanta.com/

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

[email protected]

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This podcast is sponsored by LocalPod.co, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. Learn more at https://localpod.co

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This week Paul is joined by Kyle Rickhoff and Bob Rose of AlignSimple, a fractional service and strategy company focused on enhancing the success of local media publishers.

They discuss the concept of fractional services and the unique offerings that AlignSimple provides for publishers backed by their years in the industry. They also talk about the evolving landscape of media, focusing on the importance of engagement through podcasting and newsletters, the challenges and strategies surrounding social media, and the need for local media organizations to adapt to new tools and audience expectations while maintaining a strong community connection.

Links:

https://alignsimple.com/

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

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

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This podcast is sponsored by LocalPod.co, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. Learn more at https://localpod.co

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Today Paul is joined by Graham Colligan, founder of Towns Of: a social media app for local news and events.

They talk about the importance of social media and how Towns Of aims to centralize local news and events for communities. Graham shares insights on the business model and competition in the local news aggregator space, emphasizing the need for innovation and community engagement, and a lot more.

Links:

https://www.townsof.com/

https://www.instagram.com/graham_colligan/

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

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This podcast is sponsored by LocalPod.co, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. Learn more at https://localpod.co

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Today Paul speaks with Alec Saelens, Impact Manager at Solutions Journalism Network.

Alec and Paul discuss Alec's path into journalism, the establishment of the Bristol Cable, and his current role at the Solutions Journalism Network. He emphasizes the importance of cooperative models in local journalism, the potential of solutions journalism to generate revenue, and the need for impact tracking to ensure sustainability in the industry. Alec also shares insights on the future of local news, highlighting both the challenges and the entrepreneurial spirit driving new initiatives.

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alec-saelens-125411176/

https://www.solutionsjournalism.org/

https://thebristolcable.org/

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This podcast is sponsored by LocalPod.co, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. Learn more at https://localpod.co

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Today Paul is joined by Johnny Levy, CEO of DataJoe and founder of the Media Data Collaborative.

They discuss the significance of data in local media, the challenges of monetizing that data, and the importance of networking. Johnny shares his view on the role of connection in the media space, sharing insights on how he leverages his strengths as a connector to foster relationships and collaboration. They also talk about the Media Data Collaborative group and Johnny's People of Media series.

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnny-levy/

https://datajoe.substack.com/

http://www.datajoe.com/

Johnny's book:

https://www.amazon.com/Superpower-Quest-Heros-Unlocking-Potential/dp/B0D1GVFSD2

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This podcast is sponsored by LocalPod.co, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. Learn more at https://localpod.co

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Today Paul is joined by Chief Growth & Innovation Officer for Wisconsin Watch Richard E. Brown.

Richard shares insights on the evolving landscape of local journalism, the importance of storytelling, and the need for news organizations to align with advertisers that share their mission. He discusses his career journey, the significance of building relationships within the community, and strategies for improving retention and reducing churn for local publishers.

Links:

https://wisconsinwatch.org/

https://milwaukeenns.org/

https://richardebrown.co/

Connect with Richard:

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

https://www.facebook.com/richardebrown17

https://www.instagram.com/richardebrown17/

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This podcast is sponsored by LocalPod.co, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. Learn more at https://localpod.co

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Today Paul is joined by Sara McNamara, Director of Business Development for white label ticketing software company Ticketsauce.

They discuss the mechanics of how the platform works, the revenue opportunities it creates, and success stories from local media companies that have effectively utilized the platform. Sara also provides insights into what local publishers should consider when expanding their event strategies, including potential red and green flags.

Links:

https://www.ticketsauce.com/

Connect with Sara:

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

[email protected]

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This podcast is sponsored by LocalPod.co, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. Learn more at https://localpod.co

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Today Paul is joined by Chris Krewson, Executive Director of LION Publishers.

LION (Local Independent Online News) is a nonprofit that strengthens the local news industry by helping independent news publishers build more sustainable businesses.

On the podcast they discuss the origins of LION, the importance of diverse revenue streams for local media companies, AI and its effects on the industry, how LION's sustainability audits benefit local publishers, the organization's new Sustainability 360 program, and more.

Links:

https://www.lionpublishers.com/

LION Newsletter:

https://lionnewsletter.paperform.co/

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

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This podcast is sponsored by LocalPod.co, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. Learn more at https://localpod.co

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Today Paul welcomes Laurie Sigillito to the podcast. Laurie is the founder of Local News Network, a local media startup based out of Durango, Colorado.

Paul and Laurie discuss how Local News Network combines video content with digital out of home networks, social media, newsletters, and more. They discuss how Laurie's background in the tech and signage industries led to the formation of the company, how it operates, her long term vision, and more.

Links:

https://www.thelocalnews.us/

[email protected]

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This podcast is sponsored by LocalPod.co, helping local news publishers produce revenue generating podcasts. Learn more at https://localpod.co

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