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9 Millones: Independent journalism supported by crowdfunding, grants and fellowships

Camille Padilla Dalmau is on a mission to empower Puerto Ricans to tell their stories. She founded 9 Millones, a publishing and crowdfunding platform for solutions journalism addressing social issues impacting the archipelago and connecting the 9 million Puerto Ricans worldwide.
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Leveraging layered advertising strategies to boost your bottom line — and your advertisers’

News media publishers should leverage layered advertising strategies to boost their bottom line — and their advertisers’. Numerous strategies and techniques exist that may fit advertisers’ needs. Here are a few ideas....

Citizen Journalism: With newsroom resources stretched thin, local news publishers consider whether and how to embrace community reporting

Our June cover story asks: "Who is a “journalist?” It’s a simple question, newly steeped in controversy. As local newsrooms find they don’t have enough resources for comprehensive coverage, some communities are turning to citizen journalists to bridge the information gap. It would seem good for the country to have more watchdogs and more people contributing to the local news landscape — yet, not everyone agrees.
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One-on-one with the outspoken Evan Brandt, the last reporter left at The Mercury

In this episode of "E&P Reports," we go one-on-one with the outspoken reporter for Media News Group's Pottstown (PA) Mercury, Evan Brandt, where we explore what it is like to be the last local journalist remaining at this "ghost paper" that serves a suburban Philadelphia community of over 40,000. Brandt offers insight into his 25+ years at The Mercury, the several ownership bankruptcies that created years of serial downsizing, and how today he works out of his own attic to cover beats once reported on by a team of 30+ reporters.

Ballantine enters a Gannett “ghost paper” town, starting a five-day-a-week free, printed tabloid.

In this episode of "E&P Reports," we explore the Tri-City Record, a new, five-day-a-week free publication serving San Juan County, New Mexico, being launched by Ballentine Communications, the owners of the Durango (CO) Herald. We learn from board chairman/ owner Richard G. Ballentine and new Record Publisher David Cook why they believe there is a real opportunity for expansion into this area already served by an existing Gannett title since that paper has drastically cut back on staff and content over the past few years.

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The world of philanthropy was burgeoning in 1988. But there was no unified source of information for the diverse group of charities and nonprofits until The Chronicle of Philanthropy began publishing. The monthly magazine reports on issues impacting the world that other journalists cover, such as climate change and democracy, but approaches them through a nonprofit lens.
Employees who are happy with their current employers aren’t likely to be tempted into another position. So, how do you ensure you don't lose your people to a new, more appealing offer? Simple. You become the other job. Instead of the boring person at home, you become the mistress.
Collaboration among news media outlets is not new, but The Exchange is a new collaborative effort that aims to create business and financial content for underserved communities. It’s a collaboration of local, diverse news media with decades of service to their communities, the Local Media Association (LMA), the Local Media Consortium (LMC) and Deloitte.
The new owners of The Weekly Recorder — three lifelong residents who are active in their communities — acknowledge the challenge of entering the newspaper business when other newspapers, both locally and nationwide, are struggling. But, they believe there's an opportunity and much to highlight within Washington County.
The “gender beat” concept developed less than a decade ago, but it has already evolved significantly since then. While many of the journalists interviewed by Meg Heckman, a journalist, author and educator with Northeastern University, thought the concept of a gender beat should not be necessary, she believes it is a necessary stepping stone in the short term.
Across the country, more and more "ghost papers" are appearing, where you may find no publisher or editor; and a newsroom with just one reporter left. In some cases, entire “beats” have disappeared — where cities and large regions have no one covering the news. What happens to these journalists and to the communities they serve? In some cases a news desert remains. In others, we find competing media companies stepping in to fill the void.
In the digital age, an increasing number of publications choose to eliminate their print issues and move entirely online. However, those publications with a loyal print subscriber base are left to choose between a myriad of local carriers or the United States Postal Service (USPS). There is no correct answer. Publications must do the research and evaluate the market.
Journalists from all over the world traveled to Ohio in early spring for the Kiplinger Fellowship. There were 19 fellows this year, representing 12 nations. They had the added distinction of being the program’s 50th-anniversary class. Kevin Z. Smith, the Kiplinger Program’s executive director, spoke with E&P about the evolution of the fellowship program.
When Pulitzer Prize-winner Steve Sack decided to retire last year after four decades at The Minneapolis Star Tribune, Opinion Editor Scott Gillespie decided to buck industry trends and announced he had an opinion position to fill: editorial cartoonist. The Star Tribune may be an outlier in an industry that no longer appears to value the work of editorial cartoonists.
Dave Stevens is the only legless player in sports history to have played NCAA football and minor league baseball. The seven-time Emmy-winning sports journalist is now a motivational speaker and television host as he nears 40 years in broadcasting. While he says the media industry has come a long way in terms of inclusivity, he adds: "we still have a long way to go in this and other aspects of society."
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Latest Industry News
In a Twitter post, the NYTimesGuild reports: "After nearly 800 days without a contract, ~1,000 @NYTimesGuild members voted more than 99 percent in favor to ratify a new 5-year deal that includes an immediate $65,000 salary floor, raises for every member, hybrid work options, a ban on NDAs and new investments in local news."
When news breaks, The Messenger polls a group of about 80 experienced observers (“from the worlds of politics, policy, law, history, academia and media”) it has assembled — quite consciously from across the political spectrum — and asks them to quickly rank the news on a scale of 1 to 10.
The Los Angeles Times is cutting its newsroom staff, becoming the latest news organization to contract amid economic pressures brought on by advertising and print readership declines.
"We embrace where we live, and we will report in communities that rarely see the media unless there is some sensational crime or natural disaster. This is an incredibly diverse and interesting place, and our independence will help us spend time in communities just listening, building understanding and then reporting back to the community at large." -- Peter Bhatia, CEO, Houston Landing
At a recent API local news opinion summit in Austin, more than 50 opinion editors came together for a frank and searching conversation about their roles in their communities and the sustainability of their institutions. Some participants agreed to be quoted for this article in follow-up interviews. Insights are drawn from those conversations as well as with others in or adjacent to the publishing industry.
The Daily and Sunday Telegraph are to be put up for sale in a deal that promises to reshape the media landscape after the Barclay family lost control of their crown jewel media assets in a bitter row over nearly £1bn of unpaid debts.
Meta says that it is now prepared to block news in Canada in response to a bill in that country that is based on Australia’s bargaining code.
Just two years after buying the digital media firm for nearly $300 million, BuzzFeed is already considering selling it off, according to a report from The Information.
Bloomberg Media is investing in community products and experiences, with the goal of bringing the audience closer to its newsroom and personalities, and increasing users’ engagement.
As it always does in TV, it came down to two things: money and ratings. Under Licht’s leadership, CNN struggled with both.
Anissa Durham of The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint sent interview requests to about a dozen Black reporters at white-owned outlets asking if they could talk to her about how supported they feel in their newsroom. One reporter after another declined to comment on the record. All of them said they were afraid of retaliation in their newsroom. Except one.
In a memo, CNET outlines how it could use AI systems in its journalism in the future. The policy promises that no stories will be entirely produced by an AI tool.
The Innovation Team at RJI has launched the Innovation in Focus newsletter, a monthly exploration of the practical experiments performed as part of the Innovation in Focus series.
Oregon’s attorney general announced Monday she is investigating Fox Corp.’s board of directors for “breach of fiduciary duty” after Fox News repeatedly broadcast election lies in the wake of the 2020 election.
Jennifer Kho, the Sun-Times’ executive editor, explains how people the paper has written about can seek a review and possibly have stories removed from internet searches.
The decision was a victory for news outlets including The Associated Press and The New York Times that petitioned Shields last week to unseal the names, citing a need for “the greatest transparency possible.”
Fewer than one third of Americans believe that local news media hold public officials accountable, a finding that calls into question whether local journalism is fulfilling  one of its primary missions, according to national poll commissioned by the Medill School at Northwestern University.
Last week, Louisiana became the first state to pass a law that will eventually make newspaper websites the primary platform for public notice.
CNN Anchor Anderson Cooper will moderate a live CNN Republican Presidential Town Hall with former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, June 12, from New York.
Industry Partner News
The Jewish World of Albany, New York, has formed an alliance for improved sales and marketing projects, with Capital Region Independent Media (CRIM), which operates media companies, including nine newspapers in the region.
STN's user-focused video player functionality not only boosts engagement but also delivers enhanced KPIs and more revenue for publishers.
In a global effort to streamline their printing production workflow and lessen their dependencies and related costs tied to managing and supporting on-premises data centers (hardware and software), Gannett has already implemented ProImages NewsWayX Systems in 10 print locations with more planned in the coming months.
Deaths are up. Obits are down. Discover why private party placement is the secret to thriving with the digital generation, with three strategies to make your private party intake a revenue-generating success.
BlueLena, which supports independent news organizations with developing, implementing and managing subscription, membership and donation models, has announced a strategic partnership with Piano Software, a leading digital experience platform that supports subscription, conversion, analytics and personalization outcomes.
In less than six months of rolling out the Column platform, Ogden Newspapers successfully migrated 75% of their public notice orders to self-serve. Implementing the new platform involved a well-defined plan and strong collaboration. The final result was an enhanced customer experience with greatly improved efficiency.
Email newsletters continue to be one of the most powerful newsroom tools, regularly connecting publications with their audiences and encouraging readers to develop a habit and establish loyalty toward a news organization. Looking to spruce up a newsletter or planning a new launch? Here are some tried and true strategies for optimizing newsletters that publishers can put into place today.
The challenges are many when launching a new local, nonprofit news outlet, especially in the current newspaper industry climate. Deciding to be a digital-only news source with a hard registration wall meant the Springfield (Missouri) Daily Citizen had to rely heavily on various technologies to manage email registration and subscriptions. BlueLena's intimate knowledge of subscription best practices allowed the paper to rapidly evolve its products toward launch.
Each year Editor & Publisher Magazine (E&P) and the Local Media Consortium (LMC) recognize companies that have done the impossible through successful innovation, implementing cost savings or developing new programs that have generated considerable increases in revenue or audience.
#NewsMedia Stocks of Interest
Newspeople
G/O Media has named veteran technology journalist Dan Ackerman as editor in chief of Gizmodo, a leading technology, science and culture site.
Clarice Touhey, most recently publisher of two North Dakota newspapers, has been named general manager of the Victoria (Texas) Advocate.
Fanny Weiland has done two stints in the business office at the Sierra Vista Herald/Review Media, the most recent as business manager beginning in July 2021. She began her new position June 1.
Jonathan Richie has joined the Oshkosh (Wisconsin) Herald staff as a general assignment reporter and assistant editor.
Award-winning journalist Emilia Díaz-Struck has been named the incoming executive director of the Global Investigative Journalism Network, an association of more than 240 investigative journalism nonprofits throughout the world.
Chris Licht, the embattled chief executive and chairman of CNN, whose brief one-year tenure at the network was stained by a series of severe missteps, announced on Wednesday that he will depart the company.
Chris Coates has been named Virginia state editor for Lee Enterprises, overseeing newsgathering in 11 markets. He will remain executive editor of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
MORE NEWSPEOPLE
River City Newspapers, which owns The Miner (Kingman, Arizona), recently announced the hiring of Jamie McCorkle as advertising director and Michael Zogg as editor. Both are newspaper industry veterans.
Small-town editor squeezed out at traditional newspaper — so he joins the expanding Spanish newspaper.
Peter Baniak, editor of the Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader, has been promoted to become McClatchy’s vice president of news for small and medium markets.
Guardian Media Group has announced that Debbie Klein will join its board as a non-executive director in September.
ABC News President Kim Godwin has announced the 2024 campaign producers/reporters who will be covering the 2024 presidential election.
Industry Obits
Hoyt Purvis died on Friday, May 26, after an illness, said his wife Marion Purvis. He was 83.
In the early hours of May 31, two assailants on a motorcycle shot and killed radio journalist Cris Bundoquin on the C5 Road in the city of Calapan, in Oriental Mindoro province, according to multiple news reports.
John Widdison, a former executive managing editor of the Telegram & Gazette in Worcester, Massachusetts, died Tuesday, May 23, at the age of 84.
On Wednesday, May 25, James Don “JD” Swartz passed away peacefully at Franklin Woods Hospital. He was born August 5, 1935, to Don and Maude Jane Barnett Swartz. He lived a beautiful life of 87 years.
The Wichita Business Journal family is mourning the death of longtime colleague Daniel McCoy.
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