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

» Google Discover is driving more traffic to local news

» Should local news invest more in visuals?

» More Americans are getting their news from TikTok, podcasts

» A new $900K lab to tackle economic mobility in St Louis

» The “AI-ification” of email

📈 Google Discover is driving more traffic to local news

Google Discover, a personalized content feed that appears on mobile devices, is driving more traffic to US newsrooms according to Nieman Lab. Discover is algorithmic, mobile first, and still mysterious, leaving publishers scrambling to crack the code. Outlets like VTDigger, Chicago Reader and Honolulu Civil Beat saw traffic gains as high as 60% over the summer.

📸 Should local news invest more in visuals?

Many local newsrooms say they want more visuals: better photos, more video, stronger imagery, but are not putting money behind it. A new study shows visual teams are being cut, budgets stagnate, and decision making around visuals often lands with “non-photo” leadership. This gap hints at a deeper tension: visuals are seen as essential to modern storytelling and audience engagement, yet they’re persistently under resourced. Read more

📱 More Americans are getting their news from TikTok, podcasts

Pew Research Center says that 20% of Americans are now getting their news from social media platform TikTok, up from just 3% in 2020. Among younger adults, the numbers are even higher: 43% of people under 30 say they use TikTok for news. The number of people getting their news from podcasts is also up to 32%, up from 22% in 2020.

🚀 A new $900K lab to tackle economic mobility in St Louis

E&P reports that St. Louis Magazine is launching an Economic Mobility Lab, backed by a three year, $900,000 grant from the James S. McDonnell Foundation. The lab will support two full time reporters (plus freelance contributors), and push coverage across print, web, newsletters, video, podcasts, and community events focused on economic inequality.

🤖 The “AI-ification” of email

Nieman Lab reports on the “AI-ification of email”: that email clients or AI tools could start summarizing or absorbing newsletter content, reducing the incentive for users to open them. 404 Media’s Jason Koebler says that the real battle is ensuring platforms readers can’t easily bypass (email, RSS) remain meaningful in a future where AI might re-package your content without sending users to you.

Small Press, Big Ideas

A podcast about the business of local news

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | RSS

News That Stays Local, Infrastructure That Scales

This week on the podcast I sat down with Deep South Today CEO Warwick Sabin to learn how his nonprofit supports newsrooms Mississippi Today and Verite News by centralizing back end functions like finance, tech, and HR, while keeping editorial decisions fully local. That split lets each newsroom double down on community specific coverage while benefiting from shared infrastructure and investigative capacity.

Warwick, a former journalist and state legislator, says the model is tailored for Deep South Today’s region: underserved Southern states with sparse populations and big civic needs. With recent collaborations, union recognition, and even JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon in the speaker lineup, Deep South Today is proving that scalable doesn’t have to mean soulless.

Have a listen on your podcast app of choice to hear how Warwick is helping to build a resilient, regional network that meets demand without growing too fast or losing sight of who the journalism is for.

More Stories

⏩ Mineral King Publishing expands with purchase of three historic Valley newspapers

⏩ Philippine news groups launch public chat rooms to strengthen local journalism

⏩ RiverBender.com Transforms into AI-Driven Hyperlocal News Leader for 2025

⏩ I was a local news reporter. Here's why they matter for journalism's future.

⏩ Lauren Gustus: We’re launching The Southern Utah Tribune

⏩ How to prioritize syracuse.com in Google search and support local journalism (Letter from the Editor)

⏩ ‘Heartbroken’: staff laid off as California TV station abruptly closes newsroom

⏩ Free online course for journalists: Use Google AI tools to improve workflow and engage audiences

⏩ Local LGBTQ+ publications are facing a drop in ad dollars and a rise in safety concerns, new report finds

⏩ The Baltimore Banner names WNYC’s Audrey Cooper as its next editor-in-chief

⏩ Vermont Launches First-Ever State-Funded Journalism Awards