The people of Aberdeen, South Dakota, were not about to allow their town to become a news desert. The local newspaper of many years, The American News, was withering on the vine. Contractions, layoffs and buyouts had reduced the staff to one reporter. Troy McQuillen, publisher of the Aberdeen Magazine, launched The Aberdeen Insider and feedback from the community has been very positive. more

Typically, a university newspaper is the learning laboratory for the institution’s journalism school. Harvard University doesn’t have a school of journalism, but it does have The Harvard Crimson, one of the oldest and most-respected student newspapers. It operates both financially and editorially independent from the university and has a long tradition of serving the university family as well as Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts. more

Merchandising has become a valued revenue stream for many newspapers and news outlets to generate new subscriptions, increase awareness of their quality journalism, promote community identity and boost the bottom line to expand newsrooms and coverage. Although the purpose of merchandising promotions is extra revenue, they are also often fun — for the community and newsrooms. more

Experience, skills and a track record for excellence are essential characteristics of successful people in any profession, including journalism. Newspapers of all sizes have contracted, and thousands of journalism jobs have disappeared. While many veteran journalists are accepting buyouts or retiring, an even newer trend is more of them still want to contribute to the profession in some capacity. more

Paul Huntsman's attachment to the Coronado, California, community is why he launched The Coronado News in early 2023. He wanted to provide its residents with quality journalism — sharing the stories of its people and lifestyle and in-depth investigative pieces. The paper is published weekly and delivered free to all the approximately 9,500 homes and businesses in the city. It also operates a free online platform. more

The persistence of poverty and food insecurity in America and related issues, such as homelessness and healthcare access, are complex challenges for everyone — government at all levels, nonprofit and charitable organizations, the average citizen and the news media. Because of the severe contraction of the news industry and the uncertainty of working as a freelancer, some journalists have experienced poverty and food insecurity. more

Collaboration among news media outlets is not new, but The Exchange is a new collaborative effort that aims to create business and financial content for underserved communities. It’s a collaboration of local, diverse news media with decades of service to their communities, the Local Media Association (LMA), the Local Media Consortium (LMC) and Deloitte. more

Media companies and their ad sales reps continue to search for the “magical” data to build long-term trust with advertisers, differentiate themselves and maximize sales. For newspapers, the task of using market research to sell effectively is exacerbated by increased operational costs, reduced newsroom staff, the lack of a research budget and expanded reporting to cover issues of great importance to readers. more

As philanthropic support of news organizations has increased substantially, Journalism Funding Partners was founded to bring more funding sources and news organizations together to support and report on the issues impacting local communities. JFP disbursed $2.2 million in funds in 2022 and has provided more than $1 million during the first quarter of 2023 to news organizations. more

Newspapers save lives. Many newspapers are recognized as vital local institutions in their communities, but how many can literally say they have saved a life? The Somers Record (one of six local newspapers owned by Halston Media) helped a critical local patient find a needed kidney. more

How do you sustain a long history as a community institution with a reputation for integrity and journalistic excellence but also innovate without losing or damaging what has been built? An innovation that has already proven its value to the Richmond Times-Dispatch newsroom, readers and advertisers is a full-service video studio installed in 2020 — and in the middle of the fourth-floor offices. more

The evolution of the newspaper industry is occurring in real time. It’s been painful for some and a wake-up call for others to change their business model, explore new revenue streams and, in the process, discover how to be more visible and supportive in their communities. Many publishers, especially in local news operations, are realizing the value of evolving from a traditional subscription model to a membership model for their business, local citizens and the community. more

The days of journalists swooping into a local community or neighborhood to gather the news and then returning to work in isolation in a downtown newsroom have ended for many newspapers. The Charlotte (North Carolina) Observer is the latest to follow that trend with its mobile newsroom. more

Reporting the truth is always rewarding, but it can also be dangerous, especially for journalists working in countries (theirs or on international assignments) that may severely limit press freedom and the free flow of information to the population. Whatever the situation on the ground, these journalists are subject to being attacked, arrested, detained and interrogated, and even tried, convicted and imprisoned. These imperiled journalists are not alone, however. more

For local newspapers and news outlets to sustain themselves, it’s critical to understand Gen Zers’ perspective on local news and how they engage with it. Many news outlets are already initiating new strategies to connect with this youngest generation of adults and the high-school-age Gen Zers who will be adults soon. more

Dave Stevens has no patience with a world and employers, especially those in the media and entertainment industries, that focus on people’s disabilities instead of their abilities. He should know; he was born without hips and legs. Despite that, he has led the life he wanted but wouldn’t have expected — playing high school, college and professional sports; a career of more than 20 years as an ESPN editor and recipient of seven Emmy awards; and now a professional in residence at the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University and leading its Ability Media program. more

Manchester, Vermont, is like many other charming New England villages —  steeped in centuries of history and serving as a gateway to the Green Mountains. It’s also a hotbed of news publishing innovations at the Manchester Journal, covering the small local population and the hundreds of thousands of annual tourists and visitors. more

More than 100 guests had gathered in the American Museum of Tort Law in Winsted, Connecticut, to celebrate the launch of the Winsted Citizen for a community hungry for news. Winsted is also where Ralph Nader was born and delivered the local newspaper as a boy, and the Citizen is his gift to his hometown, which had become a news desert. more

Christina and Ray Appen may not have been aware they were part of a trend when they purchased a small newspaper, The ReVue, in the equally small (at that time) Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta, Georgia, during 1990. Today, Appen Media is a second-generation family business, with the Appens’ two sons, Hans and Carl, as the publisher and director of content and business development, respectively. Christina and Ray are still actively involved in the business. more

Too many newspapers and other media, their advertising sales reps, local businesses and retailers are unaware there is a giant pile of billions of dollars they could utilize to increase everyone’s revenues. That pile of $75 billion is in the form of annual co-op advertising funds manufacturers make available to local businesses and retailers to co-promhttps://editorandpublisher.creativecirclecms.com/images/close_button_red.gifote the manufacturers’ products and services. more