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Let's talk about what's working in local news

Out of all the media sectors to be hit over the last 20 or so years, none has seen the level of decimation visited upon local news. Hundreds of newspapers were shut down over that time period, and thousands of journalists lost their jobs. Not only have local advertising dollars been gobbled up by platforms like Craigslist, Google, and Facebook, but entire newspapers chains were also bled dry by private equity funds.

But that’s not to say there aren’t bright spots within the local news landscape. For the past few years, journalists Dan Kennedy and Ellen Clegg have been visiting and interviewing the entrepreneurs behind local news startups that managed to thrive in this new digital landscape. They’ve compiled their findings in a book titled “What Works in Community News: Media Startups, News Deserts, and the Future of the Fourth Estate.” It’s due out in 2024.

Luckily for us, they’ve agreed to share their findings in advance. This Thursday, the two will appear on a live Zoom call with my audience. We’ll talk about the ways local news startups are finding sponsors, converting readers into paid subscribers, and producing impactful journalism.

You can find the login details below:

Date and Time: Thursday, July 6th at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Zoom link:...