Posts

Podcast | Oct 13, 2026

Inside the 2026 State of Local News Report: Skyrocketing News Deserts, Rampant TV Consolidation and Emerging Startups The Medill research team discusses State of Local News Report: a rapid spike in news deserts, growing local TV news consolidation and innovation that’s providing new paths to sustainability.

In the 10th episode of the State of Local News Podcast, host Tim Franklin—Professor, John M. Mutz Chair in Local News and founding director of the Medill Local News Initiative—speaks with the researchers and editor behind Medill’s 2026 State of Local News Report. The report, Medill’s fifth annual assessment of the local news ecosystem, has expanded to include commercial local TV news for the first time, alongside a sharp rise in news deserts, continued declines...

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Podcast | Oct 1, 2026

Chicago Public Media CEO Melissa Bell is Leading the Nation’s Most Watched Local News Experiment Bell discusses the progress and challenges of the landmark 2022 merger of the Chicago Sun-Times and NPR station WBEZ—and how she weathered the federal defunding of public broadcasting.

In the ninth episode of the State of Local News Podcast, host Tim Franklin—Professor, John M. Mutz Chair in Local News and founding director of the Medill Local News Initiative—speaks with Melissa Bell, CEO of Chicago Public Media, home to one of the nation's most unique models for local news: the combination of a public radio outlet and a legacy newspaper. Two years ago this month, Bell took over as head of Chicago Public Media,...

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Podcast | Sep 2, 2026

How Daily Memphian CEO Eric Barnes Grew a Robust Nonprofit News Outlet with a Paywall and a Base of Loyal Subscribers Barnes discusses how The Daily Memphian built a sustainable nonprofit news organization through subscriptions, advertising, philanthropy and community engagement—and why he believes paywalls can play a critical role in supporting local journalism.

In the eighth episode of the State of Local News Podcast, host Tim Franklin—Professor, John M. Mutz Chair in Local News, and founding director of the Medill Local News Initiative—speaks with Eric Barnes, CEO of The Daily Memphian. Barnes joins Tim Franklin to discuss how The Daily Memphian has become one of the country’s most successful local digital news organizations. He explains how the nonprofit has built a diverse revenue model centered on subscriptions, advertising,...

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Podcast | Aug 3, 2026

Charleston CEO P.J. Browning is Investing and Growing the Post & Courier While Many Other Local News Outlets Retrench Browning discusses how she expanded to nine newsrooms across South Carolina, built new revenue streams through philanthropy and community events and forged collaborations with local newsrooms.

In the seventh episode of the State of Local News Podcast, host Tim Franklin—Professor, John M. Mutz Chair in Local News, and founding director of the Medill Local News Initiative—speaks with P.J. Browning, CEO of Evening Post Publishing and president and publisher of The Post and Courier. Browning joins Tim Franklin to discuss how The Post and Courier has become one of the country’s most innovative local news organizations by expanding to nine newsrooms across...

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Podcast | Jul 7, 2026

Lenfest Institute CEO Jim Friedlich on What’s Working in Local News: Beneficial Ownership Combined with Strong User Revenues Jim Friedlich of the Lenfest Institute discusses the transformation of The Philadelphia Inquirer, how AI is reshaping the future of journalism and what an ecosystem approach to local news looks like.

In the sixth episode of the State of Local News Podcast, host Tim Franklin—Professor, John M. Mutz Chair in Local News, and founding director of the Medill Local News Initiative—speaks with Jim Friedlich, CEO of the Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Friedlich joins Tim Franklin on the State of Local News Podcast to reflect on the Lenfest Institute’s decade-long journey to becoming one of the most influential journalism organizations in the country: investing more than $117...

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Podcast | Jun 22, 2026

Axios Local's Holly Moore on Newsletters, Networks, AI and the “Whole Buffalo”

In the fifth episode of the State of Local News Podcast, host Tim Franklin—Professor, John M. Mutz Chair in Local News, and founding director of the Medill Local News Initiative—speaks with Holly Moore, Executive Editor of Axios Local. Moore joins Tim Franklin on the State of Local News Podcast to discuss Axios Local’s evolution from a single acquired newsletter in Charlotte to a rapidly expanding local news network serving 37 markets across the United States,...

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Podcast | May 27, 2026

NPR CEO Katherine Maher Discusses Recent Restructuring and Adapting to Federal Defunding

In the fourth episode of the State of Local News Podcast, host Tim Franklin—Professor, John M. Mutz Chair in Local News, and founding director of the Medill Local News Initiative—speaks with Katherine Maher, President and CEO of NPR. Maher joins Tim Franklin on the State of Local News Podcast to discuss the rapidly shifting landscape of public media amid federal funding cuts, audience fragmentation, and technological disruption. Maher outlines NPR’s restructuring efforts, the importance of...

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Podcast | May 4, 2026

Chuck Todd on rebuilding trust through local news

In the third episode of the State of Local News Podcast, host Tim Franklin—Professor, John M. Mutz Chair in Local News, and founding director of the Medill Local News Initiative—speaks with veteran journalist and podcaster Chuck Todd. They discuss the erosion of trust in national media and how it ties into the decline of local news. Todd shares insights from his recent conversations with local news entrepreneurs, exploring emerging business models, the role of community...

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Podcast | Apr 14, 2026

Ben Cotton on lessons at the New York Times on growing digital subscriptions

In the second episode of the State of Local News Podcast, host Tim Franklin—Professor, John M. Mutz Chair in Local News, and founding director of the Medill Local News Initiative—speaks with Ben Cotton, General Manager for News at The New York Times. They discuss how the Times has grown its digital audience through a subscription-first strategy, the rise of product bundles like games, cooking, and sports; and how video, creators, and shifting audience habits are...

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Podcast | Mar 24, 2026

Steve Grove on AI, Building Trust and Reinventing the Minnesota Star Tribune Introducing the Medill State of Local News Podcast with Tim Franklin

In the inaugural episode of the Medill State of Local News Podcast, host Tim Franklin—Professor, John M. Mutz Chair in Local News, and founding director of the Medill Local News Initiative—speaks with Steve Grove, CEO and publisher of the Minnesota Star Tribune. They discuss Grove’s unconventional journey from Google executive to leading one of the nation’s largest regional newsrooms, the Star Tribune’s approach to rebuilding trust during Operation Metro Surge and how AI, shifting audience...

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