For our latest season of the Media Voices Podcast, kindly sponsored by Poool, we’re be publishing ten episodes exploring the biggest trends of 2022 and how they affect publishers; from subscriptions and membership to advertising, platforms, emerging technology and more. Our third episode explores how the local news market has evolved over the past 12 months, from start-ups showing early signs of sustainability, to the struggles of more established publishers.
After decades of managed decline, the past few years has seen a sea of local news start-ups rising to fill the gaps left by the once-dominant legacy publishers. In the US, publishers like Axios and 6AM City are using lean, MVP models to launch local news outlets with just a few reporters and a newsletter. Many others are using increasingly-available digital tools to set up websites, podcasts, membership schemes and newsletters to support a local news operation with minimal investment.
In Europe, established news organisations are launching new online local services, hiring journalists to fill the gaps in their own 'news deserts'. In the UK, start-ups like The Manchester Mill have established a blueprint that works for them and are expanding into other areas, without needing tens of thousands of subscribers. Meanwhile in Finland, 39% of those who pay for news say they are paying for regional or local news online - higher than in many other markets.
However, that doesn't mean the route to becoming a sustainable local news organisation is straightforward. To discuss the state of local news, we're joined this episode by Chris Jansen, Head of Local News, Global Partnerships at Google. Chris started his career in local radio news, and learned some lessons early on about how hard it is to do original reporting on a local level, especially for small businesses. Now, he leads the Google News Initiative's local news efforts, helping publishers with best practices and business tools to succeed in the digital world.
This topic will be one of the chapters we explore in detail as part of our Media Moments 2022 report, launching on November 30th. Find out more and pre-register here to receive the report.
This season of Media Voices is sponsored by Poool, the Membership and Subscription Suite used by over 120 publishers from around the world. The team behind Poool are industry experts who have put everything they know into the product, ready to respond to your ‘how’ of launching & developing a reader revenue strategy.
poool.tech | @PooolTech
The NCTJ's Head of Partnerships and Projects Will Gore on local news and journalism training
Stylist Group CEO Ella Dolphin on transforming the free print magazine to digital subscriptions
FT Senior Data Visualisation Journalist John Burn-Murdoch on graphing coronavirus data
Flashes & Flames founder Colin Morrison on surviving digital transformation and the pandemic
The Atlantic International Editor Prashant Rao on bringing the publication to a global audience
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Laptop Mag Editor in Chief Sherri L. Smith on evolving a consumer tech title
The Telegraph Podcast Editor Theodora Louloudis on podcasting's role in growing subscriptions
POLITICO UK Executive Editor Kate Day on the publisher's expansion in the UK
PPA Managing Director Owen Meredith on a successful #AxeTheReadingTax campaign
Singletrack Magazine publisher Mark Alker on reader revenues vs programmatic advertising
The 19th co-founder Amanda Zamora on launching a news brand about women and politics
Future plc Brand Director of Home Interest Paul Newman on multichannel publishing strategies
Mash Media Portfolio Director Duncan Siegle on the synergy between magazines and events
Digital editor of In the Moment magazine Sarah Orme on the emerging market of mindfulness
Freelance Journalism Special
Editor in Chief of The Week Junior US Andrea Barbalich on launching a print title for kids
Evening Standard Executive Producer Chris Stone on the role of video & audio in publishing
MIT Technology Review CEO & Publisher Elizabeth Bramson-Boudreau on transforming a legacy brand
Media Voices: Christmas 2019 Special
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