New chapter for Lansing’s City Pulse: Philanthropy backs fierce independence

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In an era when hedge funds dominate newspaper acquisitions, the Lansing City Pulse found a different kind of buyer — one driven not by profit margins, but by civic purpose. The Michigan Independent Media Group (MIMG), led by philanthropy veteran Dr. Jason Franklin, acquired the fiercely independent alternative weekly, founded and edited for more than two decades by Berl Schwartz.

Read recent E&P reporting on the "City Pulse" Sale

The unusual pairing might be precisely what local journalism needs right now. “I needed an exit plan,” said Schwartz. “I didn’t have a clue what it was. And one day, out of the blue, I got a phone call from one of the people associated with the group that hadn’t even formed yet. He said, ‘There are a bunch of rich progressives who want to buy and save local newspapers.’” That phone call started a three-year journey toward a deal Schwartz now believes is “truly good for the future of City Pulse and Lansing.”

Franklin explained why the publication stood out to his team: “City Pulse is the second newspaper we have purchased in Michigan. We’re just getting going. And when you look around the state, the City Pulse is one of the biggest weeklies in the entire state.” The paper’s mix of bold reporting and community presence aligned perfectly with MIMG’s mission. “There’s both the chance for coverage of state news. But more importantly… the Capital City doesn’t actually get covered as a city and a community,” Franklin said. “It’s also about boosting the local coverage in Lansing.”

Shared values, independent voices

The match wasn’t accidental. Schwartz carefully vetted potential suitors, and he wasn’t short on offers. But few met his high bar. “They revealed themselves… as not necessarily the ones who would carry on the independent mission of City Pulse,” he said. What won him over with MIMG was their willingness to embrace what made his paper unique. “They are not afraid to embrace and continue what City Pulse is, but they also want to take it beyond what I’ve been able to do with it,” he said. “I think it’s about halfway to where it can be in this community.”

Franklin underscored that commitment by describing MIMG’s operational framework. “Buried Lead Media is the operating company,” he explained. “Each newspaper we buy will be running independently as its own local newspaper supported by the operating company and the media group statewide.” Their model enables philanthropy-backed infrastructure without compromising editorial autonomy. “The impulse for the media group is really at that intersection… of civic engagement and journalism,” he said.

The trust between the two men runs deep. Schwartz acknowledged that while being independent meant freedom, it also meant responsibility. “Like anybody who owns a business, you work for everybody. You work for your employees, and you work for your audience,” he said. “I had to learn from them… I think the reason we’ve held on in Lansing is Lansing has come to appreciate that we do take risks.”

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Sustainability with purpose

While some may see local journalism as a faltering business model, Franklin believes the opposite. “City Pulse is operationally stable now. [Berl] didn’t need to sell,” he said. “Over half [of Michigan newspapers] have closed over the last century. But the ones that exist have found their footing.” For Franklin, success begins with the product itself. “If you don’t have a good product… it is a) not worth supporting and b) not viable to continue to support.

That’s why MIMG’s dual investment strategy includes both philanthropic and impact capital. “You can invest those resources back into the paper and growing it, reaching new audiences… expanding the coverage,” Franklin said. “We have absolutely no interest… in taking apart these papers for parts like some of the vulture investors have done.”

Schwartz, too, remains bullish on the future of his paper under new leadership. “Nothing pleases me more than when a few months later, [mainstream media] catch up with the story we wrote about for weeks or months,” he said. “Nothing pleases me more than when we have a real effect on our community. When the mayor called me and said, ‘You know, we're gonna do something about that.’”

Still, Franklin sees MIMG’s mission as focused. “Honestly, I don’t think so,” he said when asked if they would expand outside Michigan. “The donors and the investors are mostly Michiganders. But I do hope there will be parallel efforts, similar efforts in other states.”

In Franklin’s vision, Michigan is the proving ground. “There’s a value of going deep in one state,” he said. “We build a critical mass, and we’re here for the long term in Michigan. And then we can be an ally to other projects that are in other states.”