Local News Takes Center Stage

October 15, 2021


Welcome to the 93rd edition of the NewStart Alliance. When we started this little newsletter, hardly anyone reported on what we were focusing on -- the community newspaper business. About the only thing you heard about were horror stories of corporate chains and hedge funds. 


And yes, those were (and still are) truly horrible.

But just look at the selection of stories that have been published the last couple of weeks. Editor & Publisher took a look at a number of new local owners who have taken over former Gannett properties. The same sort of thing was covered by the Seattle Times. And the Missouri Independent got into the act by looking into the takeover of former Gannett publications in that state.

What once was NewStart niche is apparently all the rage.


I'm not complaining, mind you. It is great to see coverage of something other than doom and gloom in our industry. It is much needed. And it will continue.

I was also happy to see this article from The Week, titled "A New Model for Modest Middle-Class Journalism," which includes the following passage:

For the fine folks in our NewStart program, that "profitable media business" could take the form of an existing newspaper, or it may be a startup news organization. There are many different ways to go about it, but they all have to, at heart, revolve around the community you're serving.

Hey, this backs up what I just said.