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

→ Partnership to educate funders on journalism ethics

→ St. Louis Post-Dispatch to stop printing locally, will lay off 72

→ Documentary examines a hedge fund’s impact on local newspapers

→ How Google influenced the California news deal

🏫 Partnership to educate funders on journalism ethics

A new partnership between the Knight Foundation and The Poynter Institute will educate philanthropic funders of local news organizations.

The partnership comes at a time of increased philanthropic support in the local media space and will “provide primers on the rules of engagement between news organizations and their financial supporters”. Click here to read more about the multi phase rollout of the program over the next year.

📰 St. Louis Post-Dispatch to stop printing locally, will lay off 72

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch will outsource printing operations for its daily publication to a facility in Columbia, Missouri starting in January.

The cost cutting move will eliminate 72 jobs and mark the first time in the paper’s 146 history that the Post-Dispatch will not be printed in St. Louis. The Post-Dispatch, which is owned by Lee Enterprises, will move printing operations to a press owned by rival Gannett. Read more here.

🎥 Documentary examines a hedge fund’s impact on local newspapers

A documentary by Sundance Grand Prize winner and two-time Academy Award nominee Rick Goldsmith shares the story of secretive hedge fund Alden Global Capital and their pillaging of local newspapers.

The documentary exposes the business model of the firm, the rebellion staged by journalists at Alden-owned papers across the country, and looks at the future of the local news ecosystem in the US. Read more in this article by the film’s creator.

🤝 How Google influenced the California news deal

New reporting from Bloomberg suggests that Google used an ultimatum and influence with state lawmakers to close the recent deal with local news outlets in the state.

According to the story, Google was pushing for California taxpayers to chip in $70 million to help support local journalism, providing a precedent for Google to use in negotiations with other jurisdictions in the future.

Local News Industry Pulse is committed to being the community connector for the local news industry, and as a part of that we’re thrilled to announce that we’ll now be offering free job and event postings in the newsletter!

Your job or event will be listed for free in the newsletter for up to 30 days. We do ask that the listing pertain to the local news industry or be closely related. To get started just click the link below.

Small Press, Big Ideas

A podcast about the business of local news

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How Ticketing Can Unlock New Revenue for Local Media Publishers

This week on the podcast I was joined by Sara McNamara, Director of Business Development for white label ticketing platform Ticketsauce.

We spoke about how local media companies can create their own ticketing brands to tap into new revenue streams and strengthen community connections.

We discussed the mechanics of how the Ticketsauce platform works, the revenue opportunities it creates, and success stories from local media companies that have effectively utilized the platform.

Sara also provides insights into what local publishers should consider when expanding their event strategies, including potential red and green flags.