Hello! Here’s what’s in this week’s issue:

» A leap forward for AI in journalism from small-town Missouri

» AP to launch local investigative reporting program

» Knight Foundation pledges $25 million to AJP

» Lee Enterprises confirms outage was a ransomware attack

» Are paywalls reducing local news coverage?

🚀 A leap forward for AI in journalism from small-town Missouri

This piece from RJI’s “AI is Here” series explores an AI-powered CMS rolled out internally by Missouri based Rust Communications. The product’s performance is reportedly “ridiculously high compared to what’s out there in the industry”, with boosts in online traffic as high as 45% over the first three months of launch.

🕵️‍♂️ AP to launch local investigative reporting program

The Associated Press released a memo announcing that it will create a Local Investigative Reporting Program, led by experienced journalist Ron Nixon. The program will work with state and local outlets to provide training in areas such as “open source investigative techniques; using AI for local investigations; producing localized investigative guides; connecting local newsrooms with AP editors and other subject matter experts; and working with AP’s data team to provide data analysis services, consultations and data distributions”.

💰 Knight Foundation pledges $25 million to AJP

The Knight Foundation has announced it will invest $25 million in the American Journalism Project to “expand and strengthen local news”. The AJP will use the money to provide growth capital and long-term operational support to up to 60 nonprofit newsrooms in the US, as well as bolster partnerships with local philanthropy across the country.

🚫 Lee Enterprises confirms outage was a ransomware attack

The cyber event that affected dozens of Lee Enterprises newspapers has been confirmed to be a ransomware attack. In a filing for the SEC, Lee says that “threat actors unlawfully accessed the company’s network, encrypted critical applications, and exfiltrated certain files”.

🧱 Are paywalls reducing local news coverage?

A study from the University of Michigan claims that when newspapers put up digital paywalls, coverage begins to shrink - especially in smaller cities. The study reports that when newspapers started requiring a digital subscription, their coverage was reduced by 5%. For cities smaller than 500,000, that number was 13%.

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Small Press, Big Ideas

A podcast about the business of local news

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Bridging the Gaps in Local News

News deserts, areas with little to no access to reliable local journalism, are a growing problem in the US. We all hear about the latest studies confirming the growing number of counties afflicted, but don’t always hear the stories of news orgs who are sprouting up in these areas.

This week on Small Press, Big Ideas I sat down with Ron Fields, Director of Publisher Partnerships at EmpowerLocal, to talk about some unconventional outlets who are filling the gaps in local news coverage.

In his role at EmpowerLocal, Ron talks to a lot of publishers. No joke- just ask him and he’ll provide you an entire rolodex of contacts to talk to (a great resource for a podcaster 😉). During these calls, Ron has found plenty of examples of community-focused publishers doing great journalism in areas of the country that may not have a “traditional” news source.

One example Ron brings up is Big Country News in Idaho. Although technically a broadcaster, not a newspaper or digital-first outlet, their website registers over 1 million monthly visits while providing quality journalism for the region. Some other great examples Ron brings up are Evanston Now in the Chicago suburbs and the Decorah News in Iowa.

Have a listen to our full conversation to hear Ron’s story, insights from his experiences with various publishers, thoughts on how we define news deserts, and more wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen and read my full summary of the episode on my website: Bridging the Gaps in Local News

Local Stories

⏩ Local News Is Dying. The Consequences Are Worse than You Think

⏩ Hearst to purchase Austin American-Statesman from Gannett, expanding footprint in Texas

⏩ The Future of Local News in New Jersey? It’s Adapting.

⏩ Carpenter Media Group to purchase Salem Publishing

⏩ The publishers leading a renaissance for London news

⏩ Mississippi State’s humanities series highlights power of local journalism

⏩ Journalism Center Awarded $1M Grant for New AI Tools

⏩ West St. Paul Reader fills a hyperlocal news need