For many community publishers, the challenge isn’t simply producing more content—it’s keeping websites fresh during evenings, weekends and holidays without diverting reporters from the local journalism readers depend on.
For British Columbia-based Lodestar Media, that challenge became an opportunity through a four-year partnership with Stacker, a content distribution platform dedicated to delivering high-quality articles from non-profit newsrooms and brands to 3,000+ publishers across North America. Today, Lodestar Media has generated more than 1.7 million pageviews from syndicated Stacker content across its network while more than doubling year-over-year pageviews from those stories—all without adding newsroom staff or shifting reporters away from local coverage.
Lodestar Media operates a growing network of community publications across British Columbia, including Vancouver Is Awesome, Business in Vancouver and several local news brands serving communities throughout the province. Under the company’s unified editorial strategy, its publications are organized around four content pillars: News, Live, Work and Play. Overseeing digital content strategy across the network is Director of Digital Content Tereza Verenca.
Finding coverage without sacrificing local reporting
Like many regional publishers, Lodestar faces predictable publishing challenges. Readers expect fresh content around the clock, but staffing evenings, weekends and holidays can strain even well-managed newsrooms.
Rather than asking local reporters to produce additional evergreen features, Lodestar looked for high-quality syndicated journalism that could complement—not replace—its original reporting. That solution arrived through Stacker, which syndicates 400+ new articles each month.
The relationship began more than four years ago after being introduced by a former colleague, but Verenca transformed it into an everyday editorial workflow after assuming responsibility for digital content across the network. “I made it my mission that every day—at least five days a week—we would have one Stacker item around seven or eight p.m.,” Verenca said.
Publishing those articlesrequires only a quick scan of their RSS feed or a few clicks in Stacker’s publisher portal, Story Hub, before they’re distributed to individual publications throughout the network. When Story Hub introduced an updated portal interface in early 2026, Verenca said the process became even easier, allowing her to quickly identify stories likely to resonate with Canadian audiences across multiple markets.
She focuses on evergreen subjects such as pets, personal finance, seasonal wellness and practical explainers—topics that complement local reporting while remaining useful long after publication.
Protecting newsroom resources
For Verenca, the value of the partnership extends beyond efficiency. Having spent years as a reporter herself, she understands how easily worthwhile feature ideas can compete with urgent local assignments. “When I was a reporter, I remember thinking, ‘These are great story ideas, but when will I get time to do all these? I have local news to attend to,’” she said. “Stacker fills a gap that no one else is doing in our network.”
That distinction is important because Lodestar never intended syndicated content to replace local journalism. Instead, it serves as a way to maintain publishing consistency while allowing reporters to stay focused on municipal government, public safety, education and the community issues that define each publication.
The approach becomes particularly valuable during holiday periods, when newsrooms often have limited staff but audiences continue visiting local websites expecting fresh content.
By incorporating carefully selected evergreen stories into the publishing schedule, editors can continue serving readers without placing additional demands on journalists taking well-earned time off.
Editorial standards matter
Efficiency alone wouldn’t have earned Stacker a permanent place in Lodestar’s workflow. Editorial credibility was equally important.
Before publication, Verenca reviews each story’s sourcing and authorship to ensure it meets the network’s standards. After more than four years of regular use, she says she has never encountered a story that required removal because of editorial concerns. That consistency has allowed Stacker content to become a trusted complement to Lodestar’s original journalism rather than simply another syndicated feed.
Results that continue to grow
The numbers illustrate how the strategy has evolved. Across more than four years of partnership, Lodestar has generated an estimated 1.7 million pageviews from Stacker content.
From January through May 2026 alone, pageviews from Stacker stories increased 101% compared with the previous year. During the same period, the number of unique stories published grew 54%, while average pageviews per article increased 42%. Those gains suggest the network isn’t simply publishing more syndicated content—it is selecting stories that increasingly resonate with readers.
One example demonstrates that potential. A Stacker explainer examining whether homeowners should cover central air-conditioning units during winter has generated more than 432,000 pageviews across the Lodestar network after being surfaced through Story Hub and published in only minutes.
Successful stories often continue providing value long after their initial publication. Lodestar regularly links high-performing evergreen articles within related local coverage, helping readers discover additional reporting while increasing recirculation and time spent on site.
Performance is monitored across the Lodestar network through a monthly ranking of its 50 most-read stories. When Stacker articles appear on that list, Verenca views it as confirmation that the content is reaching readers at the right time with information they genuinely find useful.
A partnership beyond the platform
While the technology has simplified daily publishing, Verenca says the relationship itself has also distinguished Stacker from other content providers.
Many syndication services, she said, provide access to content but little ongoing engagement. “What sets Stacker apart is the face-to-face contact,” Verenca said. “That matters. So that’s been really great. I really appreciate the personal touch of having this partnership.”
For Lodestar Media, the partnership has delivered measurable audience growth while preserving one of the newsroom’s most valuable resources: its reporters’ time. Instead of asking journalists to split their attention between enterprise reporting and evergreen features, the organization has built a repeatable workflow that keeps every publication active during coverage gaps while allowing local journalists to remain focused on the communities they serve.
After more than four years and 1.7 million pageviews, Lodestar’s experience suggests that thoughtfully selected syndicated journalism can strengthen—not dilute—a local newsroom’s mission when it is used to support, rather than replace, original reporting.
About Stacker
Stacker is a content distribution platform that connects non-profits and brands with publishers through professionally reported, editorially reviewed stories designed for syndication. By combining journalism with scalable distribution technology, Stacker helps publishers supplement their original reporting with high-quality content while enabling non-profit newsrooms and brands to reach audiences through trusted news organizations. The company partners with hundreds of publishers across North America, providing articles that complement local journalism while helping newsrooms keep readers engaged and websites consistently updated. Its mission is to strengthen the relationship between brands, publishers and audiences by supporting credible journalism that benefits everyone involved.
To learn how Stacker can support your newsroom, request a demo today.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here