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š§Ŗ Experiment: pay what you can ads
Plus: Why local journalism needs operators, not just reporters / Local news needs to hit some singles / After the headlines fade: the real work of local news
Paul Gewuerz
March 05, 2026
Your weekly briefing of stories from around the local news space about business, policy, trends, and more
Hello! Hereās whatās in this weekās issue:
Ā» Experiment: pay what you can ads
Ā» A new CMS built for publishers
Ā» Avoiding the AI hallucination trap
Ā» OpenAI to host newsroom AI forum
Ā» Magic links and passcodes
š§ Small Press, Big Ideas Podcast:
š¼ Why local journalism needs operators, not just reporters
ā¾ Local news needs to hit some singles
š After the headlines fade: the real work of local news
š§Ŗ Experiment: pay what you can ads
The Baltimore Beat is testing a pay what you can advertising model that invites small businesses to choose their own price to run ads in the paper. The nonprofit outlet hopes the flexible approach will attract local advertisers and revive a revenue stream that tech platforms largely captured from local news.
āļø A new CMS built for publishers
WP Engine has introduced a major new WordPress platform built specifically for media organizations that need faster publishing, stronger security, and tools designed for modern newsrooms. The company says Newsroom aims to help publishers work more efficiently while protecting their sites and scaling digital journalism.
š° Avoiding the AI hallucination trap
AI tools can confidently produce false information, creating a growing risk for newsrooms that rely on them without strong safeguards. This piece argues publishers should adopt a zero trust approach that requires every AI generated claim to be verified before it reaches the public.
š¤ OpenAI to host newsroom AI forum
OpenAI plans to host a newsroom focused AI forum bringing together leaders from Axios, The Boston Globe, and nonprofit media groups to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping journalism. The event aims to explore practical uses of AI in newsrooms while addressing trust, ethics, and the future of reporting.
š Magic links and passcodes
News publishers are increasingly replacing passwords with magic links and one time passcodes that let readers log in through an email link or short code. The shift aims to reduce forgotten passwords and security risks while making it easier for audiences to access subscriptions.
š§ The audio platform built for local media
Readers arenāt the only audience. LocalPod.co gives you listeners too: automated podcasts that multiply ad space, expand reach, and generate new income streams.
Small Press, Big Ideas
A podcast about the business of local news
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | RSS
š¼ Why local journalism needs operators, not just reporters
First up on the Small Press, Big Ideas podcast this week I spoke with my friend Carol Wood, founder of Emerge Media Group.
From her early days as a cops and crime reporter at the Rocky Mountain News to co-founding BizWest Media and serving as COO of The Colorado Sun, Carol has spent decades helping local news organizations survive and thrive.
Today, through Emerge Media Group, she works as a fractional COO for local and hyperlocal outlets across the country, helping them tackle everything from insurance and HR manuals to trust certification and business model reinvention.
ā¾ Local news needs to hit some singles
Next up Chris Fusco, Executive Editor of The Sacramento Bee, joins the show to talk about leading a 169 year old newsroom into the future of local journalism.
From his early days covering suburban night meetings in Chicago to overseeing investigative teams in Houston and California, Chris reflects on the evolution of local news, the realities of competition, and why the ādemise of local journalismā has been greatly exaggerated.
š After the headlines fade: the real work of local news
Finally I was joined by veteran journalist Frank Scandale, News Director at the Asbury Park Press, to unpack 45 years in local news: from typewriters to Twitter, from Columbine to 9/11, and from booming newsrooms to todayās lean investigative teams.
Frank shares firsthand insight into covering historic tragedies as a local newsroom leader, the evolving fight for public records, and why deep-dive journalism remains essential to democracy. He also reflects on where the industry stumbled in the digital transition and why heās still optimistic about its future.
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