There’s no question that Evening Post Publishing, owners of the Charleston Post and Courier (P&C), have been expanding their commitment to local journalism, while other media companies publishing in South Carolina have been downsizing their newsrooms. E&P initially reported in July of 2020 that the P&C had opened news operations in Greenville, where Gannett owned the legacy title, and in Myrtle Beach, a McClatchy market.
And again, in June of 2022, E&P published a feature story on how even though 10 South Carolina newspapers had already shut down during a global pandemic, the Post & Courier had launched their "Uncovered" project, adding and assigning journalists to different state regions to cover.
But recently, as Executive Editor Autumn Phillips stated, "The Post and Courier has gone all-in by strategically expanding from a core market publication to a statewide newsroom. In each new community, we’ve incubated different models to identify the combination of funding and beat approaches that would lead to a long-term sustainable business and address growing news deserts in South Carolina.”
An example of this expansion is now in Florence, where Lee Enterprises owns the local newspaper. Here the P&C partnered with Francis Marion University to create a learning newsroom funded by donors and digital subscriptions. With these monies, the market is being served by an editor, a publisher, three reporters and six interns.
In total, The Post and Courier has added 27 new reporters working in Columbia, Rock Hill, and Hilton Head (McClatchy markets) and across three other newsrooms as part of this statewide expansion. Phillips stated: "These investments were made with the belief that in-depth reporting in markets hungry for local news will grow digital subscriptions to a level by 2025 that will fully fund the statewide news organization.”
In this 181st episode of E&P Reports, we “look under the hood” at the Charleston Post and Courier's tailor-made, market-by-market, statewide expansion and why, while others are downsizing, they are finding innovative ways to provide quality local journalism throughout South Carolina. Appearing on this broadcast are P&C Executive Editor Autumn Phillips and Chief Opportunity & Marketing Officer Chris Zoeller, along with PJ Browning, president newspaper division at Evening Post Publishing.
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233 New York State implements historic tax credits to support local journalism.
232 Facebook blocks State’s Newsroom’s Kansas Reflector: A threat to free press and first Amendment?
231 Addressing America's Divides: The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s newest chapter1
230 Understanding the skills necessary to lead the newsroom of tomorrow
229 The “whats, whys and hows” of The Association of Community Publishers (ACP)
228 Exploring their new book: “What Works in Community News,” from authors Ellen Clegg & Dan Kennedy
227 A look at the broadcast news industry from RTDNA CEO Dan Shelley
226 A frank discussion about public media with industry expert Tom Davidson
225 Jeff Jarvis and Steven Waldman debate the hard questions facing the news media industry.
224 No more downsizing, as Gannett is hiring locally at all levels.
223 An inside look at The Messenger — from startup to shut down — 10 months and 50 million dollars later
222 An inside look at the LA Times with Guild President, Matt Pearce
221 Hussman announces four $25k prizes for best in fair and impartial reporting.
220 Word in Black's journey from a pilot project to a public benefit corporation
219 Media sales icon Chris Lytle shares tried and true insights that still apply today.
218 A new film tells a story of how hedge funds are destroying local journalism.
217 The future of “big tech” compensation, now that Google's $100 million deal with Canada is law
216 Shannon Kinney’s entrepreneurial advice
215 Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins. A one-on-one with the SPJ’s new president.
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