209 Multimedia recently streamlined its legal notice and obituary management with the help of Column’s Public Notice Platform, transforming an otherwise labor-intensive process into an efficient workflow. Saresa Shutes, who oversees legal notices, obituaries, and classifieds, previously spent hours manually handling ads, a process prone to human error. Now, thanks to Column, Shutes can process legal ads five times faster while drastically reducing mistakes, saving time and money for the company. more

For so many local news outlets around the country, the cost of maintaining real estate — especially older, often historic buildings — has become untenable. However, this is a story about the antidote and how two local news publishers, in particular, are reinvesting in real estate. They're taking their brick-and-mortar assets and putting them to work as revenue generators and communal centers. more

A surprising last-minute deal between Google and California lawmakers has left the local news industry grappling with mixed emotions and crucial lessons learned. While some view the $250 million agreement as a positive step toward funding journalism, others criticize it for falling short of what was needed and creating divisions among news leaders. The agreement, which bypassed two proposed bills aimed at compelling tech giants to pay local newsrooms for content, highlights the importance of unity and strategy in advocating for fair compensation in an era dominated by digital platforms.​ more

It's critical that we in the news industry stick together, back each other up and do whatever we can to bolster news media and the democracy we have committed to uphold. Thanks to all of you who are “doing something” every day. We see you, we hear you and we applaud you. Let’s stand united because we’re much stronger together. more

The Pulitzer Prize-winning digital news outlet Lookout Local, founded by Ken Doctor, is expanding its innovative approach to local journalism beyond Santa Cruz, California, with plans to launch Lookout Eugene-Springfield in early 2025. This move marks the beginning of a broader national expansion strategy, aimed at revitalizing local news in communities across the United States. Hear insights from founder and CEO Ken Doctor, plus newly appointed COO/CRO Jed Williams and chief of staff, Ashley Harmon, more

Disinformation has replaced disintermediation as the word of the day, and many consumers aren’t happy. People are starting to miss being able to reliably get products and information that have been vetted and provided by an intermediary. This leads to an important question: Is the pendulum about to swing the other way? more

Over the past few months, news organizations have grappled with changes at Google that have led to a dramatic drop in organic search traffic. Publishers have been forced to navigate what appears to be seismic shifts in how Google doles out traffic, with the integration of artificial intelligence (which remains unintelligent and error-prone) causing panic attacks across the industry. more

One of Jin Ding's first actions as CEO of Initium was moving its headquarters from Hong Kong — where it had been since it was founded nine years ago — to Singapore. Despite the move, Initium still reports on Hong Kong and mainland China with a network of trusted freelancers. This Chinese-language digital news site also is seeking to expand its reach and serve the growing number of Millennial and GenZ Chinese who have made their way to the U.S. over the past decade. more

Investigative Reporters and Editors recently announced it was creating a tiered fee structure for membership and conferences to lower the financial barrier to journalists who may otherwise be unable to afford to become members and take training sessions with the organization. more

In this episode of “E&P Reports,” Danielle Coffey, president & CEO of the News/Media Alliance (NMA), discussed recent developments in the media landscape, highlighted the implications of California’s public-private partnership with Google and the status of the Journalism Competition & Preservation Act (JCPA), and the recent Department of Justice (DOJ) ruling against Google for antitrust violations. more

Barber Clyde Hampton uses dollar bill stickers to hold back long locks of hair, which will not get cut, as he gives Jahari Smalls a medium bald fade haircut to prepare him for the new school year at a Back to School event held in The Icon at Park Circle neighborhood Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in North Charleston. more

CalMatters and tech-driven partners have created a centralized database that improves government transparency and the public's access to materials. Called Digital Democracy, the project launched in April using a combination of AI, publicly available databases and some real-person backups. While available to anyone, the searchable product is a news reporter's dream tool. more

In a last-minute, closed-door deal that surprised many, Google secured an agreement late Wednesday with California lawmakers to circumvent two legislative bills that would have required it and other tech companies to compensate local newsrooms in the state for using their content. more

I am somewhat optimistic by this turn of events. California Assembly Member Buffy Wicks used her bill as a forcing mechanism to bring about serious and productive negotiations with Google. This agreement is  better than either of the bills that were before the Senate and Assembly and the process demonstrates that given the opportunity for fruitful negotiation, many parties can benefit.  more

A draft bill that would form a partnership between the state of California and Google to fund in-state newsrooms and AI initiatives, as reported by Politico, raises questions about how nonprofit, service-oriented news organizations will benefit. more

“Google is a dominant monopoly that reaps significant revenue off scraping and repackaging quality news content, depriving publishers of the opportunity to monetize their content and reinvest in journalists,” said News/Media Alliance President & CEO Danielle Coffey. more

“Although there is much left to do, the deal announced today by Google, Governor Newsom and Assembly Member Buffy Wicks is a step forward and a down-payment on a strategy to revive local news in California. Along with similar steps taken recently in New York and Illinois, there is now a real movement underway to help save local news through public policy. more

Born from the upheavals of the 1970s, when the government issued reporters with a slew of subpoenas to reveal their confidential sources, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) has had the backs of journalists, editors, publishers and all news professionals. It continues to be a major advocate for protecting newsgathering rights and a proactive fighter against governmental attempts to erode and limit the press’ First Amendment freedoms. more

Randall Lane, the chief content officer at Forbes Media and editor at Forbes magazine, penned a June 11, 2024 column — “Why Perplexity’s Cynical Theft Represents Everything That Could Go Wrong With AI” — citing a dispute with major AI developer, Perplexity. E&P followed up with Lane to better understand what happened and to seek his advice to other news media publishers grappling with the copyright-AI conflict. more