Sophie Culpepper
@speppered.bsky.social
Staff writer @niemanlab.org, [email protected]. Local news enthusiast, midnights become my afternoons
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
At five, City Cast makes some changes — and reconsiders its markets www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/at-f...
At five, City Cast makes some changes — and reconsiders its markets
"We no longer begin with the idea that we're a local podcast network, even though that is the most familiar thing to most people.”
www.niemanlab.org
November 20, 2025 at 8:57 PM
At five, City Cast makes some changes — and reconsiders its markets www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/at-f...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
Last week, Suncoast Searchlight's four reporters wrote a letter to their board. Their editor-in-chief had secretly been using ChatGPT and inserting hallucinated quotes into their drafts.
The next day, one of those reporters was fired. My latest for @niemanlab.org. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/flor...
The next day, one of those reporters was fired. My latest for @niemanlab.org. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/flor...
Florida nonprofit news reporters ask board to investigate their editor’s AI use
Suncoast Searchlight’s four reporters told the board their editor-in-chief was using AI editing tools and inserting hallucinations into drafts. The next day, one of the reporters was fired.
www.niemanlab.org
November 19, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Last week, Suncoast Searchlight's four reporters wrote a letter to their board. Their editor-in-chief had secretly been using ChatGPT and inserting hallucinated quotes into their drafts.
The next day, one of those reporters was fired. My latest for @niemanlab.org. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/flor...
The next day, one of those reporters was fired. My latest for @niemanlab.org. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/flor...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
A rapidly multiplying number of new media upstarts are entering the fray in Los Angeles — from driven local journalists to national commercial and philanthropic institutions that sense opportunity. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/more...
“More of everything”: In Los Angeles, an “explosion” of new efforts aim to up the city’s local news game
A well-funded coalition building out neighborhood news, a new newsletter from an expanding for-profit site, and a nonprofit breaking through on social media are just a few examples of the latest bids…
www.niemanlab.org
November 18, 2025 at 10:02 PM
A rapidly multiplying number of new media upstarts are entering the fray in Los Angeles — from driven local journalists to national commercial and philanthropic institutions that sense opportunity. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/more...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
Finally some good journalism news out of LA, where lots of new news orgs are popping up www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/more... by @speppered.bsky.social
“More of everything”: In Los Angeles, an “explosion” of new efforts aim to up the city’s local news game
A well-funded coalition building out neighborhood news, a new newsletter from an expanding for-profit site, and a nonprofit breaking through on social media are just a few examples of the latest bids ...
www.niemanlab.org
November 19, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Finally some good journalism news out of LA, where lots of new news orgs are popping up www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/more... by @speppered.bsky.social
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
A “win-win” partnership brings a surge of reporting firepower to hyperlocal news outlets around Boston www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/a-wi...
A “win-win” partnership brings a surge of reporting firepower to hyperlocal news outlets around Boston
The Boston University Newsroom has published nearly 400 news articles in hyperlocal outlets in and around the city.
www.niemanlab.org
November 13, 2025 at 4:09 PM
A “win-win” partnership brings a surge of reporting firepower to hyperlocal news outlets around Boston www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/a-wi...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
the listener-member model that public radio has turned to after decades of government underfunding conflicts with its goal to reflect and serve all Americans. spoke with @lauragarbes.bsky.social about her book LISTENERS LIKE WHO? www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/fund...
Funding cuts may make public radio more reliant on old, rich, white donors
After years of interviews, research, and writing, Laura Garbes submitted the final draft of her book on public radio in December 2024. By the time Listeners Like Who? Exclusion and Resistance in the P...
www.niemanlab.org
November 10, 2025 at 11:15 PM
the listener-member model that public radio has turned to after decades of government underfunding conflicts with its goal to reflect and serve all Americans. spoke with @lauragarbes.bsky.social about her book LISTENERS LIKE WHO? www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/fund...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
The Southern Utah Tribune is not intended to be [an offshoot] of Salt Lake City’s newsroom...this is a local news product for Washington County; its form and content are rooted in what residents told the Tribune they wanted, and it has two full-time reporters living in the county. buff.ly/4v5EaSu
The Salt Lake Tribune, preparing to drop its paywall, launches a free, monthly print newspaper for Southern Utah
“We believe that the first thing we have to do is build something that people want.”
www.niemanlab.org
October 29, 2025 at 3:30 PM
The Southern Utah Tribune is not intended to be [an offshoot] of Salt Lake City’s newsroom...this is a local news product for Washington County; its form and content are rooted in what residents told the Tribune they wanted, and it has two full-time reporters living in the county. buff.ly/4v5EaSu
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
"Digital news sites don’t come close to replacing the number of newspapers and journalism jobs being lost. And the digital news providers are almost entirely concentrated in metro areas, leaving vast swaths of the country with little to no access to local news.” www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/in-m...
In Medill’s latest State of Local News report, a “festering, 20-year-old problem” looms larger than ever
“Digital news sites don’t come close to replacing the number of newspapers and journalism jobs being lost. And the digital news providers are almost entirely concentrated in metro areas, leaving vast…
www.niemanlab.org
October 22, 2025 at 7:41 PM
"Digital news sites don’t come close to replacing the number of newspapers and journalism jobs being lost. And the digital news providers are almost entirely concentrated in metro areas, leaving vast swaths of the country with little to no access to local news.” www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/in-m...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
NEW: @andrewdeck.bsky.social and I found the @waybackmachine.bsky.social has been archiving news homepages less frequently for the past 5 months.
The result: an 87% drop in homepage snapshots across 100 news outlets during a very newsy year. www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/the-...
The result: an 87% drop in homepage snapshots across 100 news outlets during a very newsy year. www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/the-...
The Wayback Machine’s snapshots of news homepages plummet after a “breakdown” in archiving projects
Between May and October 2025, homepage snapshots fell by 87% across 100 news publications.
www.niemanlab.org
October 22, 2025 at 3:05 PM
NEW: @andrewdeck.bsky.social and I found the @waybackmachine.bsky.social has been archiving news homepages less frequently for the past 5 months.
The result: an 87% drop in homepage snapshots across 100 news outlets during a very newsy year. www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/the-...
The result: an 87% drop in homepage snapshots across 100 news outlets during a very newsy year. www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/the-...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
For the past few months, the Wayback Machine has been showing many fewer snapshots of news publishers' homepages than it used to. Something happened on May 16, but what?
@hanaatameez.bsky.social and @andrewdeck.bsky.social investigate
www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/the-...
@hanaatameez.bsky.social and @andrewdeck.bsky.social investigate
www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/the-...
The Wayback Machine’s snapshots of news homepages plummet after a “breakdown” in archiving projects
Between May and October 2025, homepage snapshots fell by 87% across 100 news publications.
www.niemanlab.org
October 21, 2025 at 6:51 PM
For the past few months, the Wayback Machine has been showing many fewer snapshots of news publishers' homepages than it used to. Something happened on May 16, but what?
@hanaatameez.bsky.social and @andrewdeck.bsky.social investigate
www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/the-...
@hanaatameez.bsky.social and @andrewdeck.bsky.social investigate
www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/the-...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
The variety in these newsletters, and their creators, is an indicator of the ever-blurrier lines around what counts as news and who counts as a journalist.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/are-...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/are-...
Are these local newsletters local <em>news</em>? (And does it matter?)
Meet a few of the entrepreneurs and hobbyists building community — and sometimes, making real ad money — from newsletters aggregating local events.
www.niemanlab.org
October 14, 2025 at 9:32 PM
The variety in these newsletters, and their creators, is an indicator of the ever-blurrier lines around what counts as news and who counts as a journalist.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/are-...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/are-...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
"While we heard throughout the research that people value the role of local news, the word 'journalism' can evoke partisanship or elitism for some audiences, while 'media' sounds like entertainment to many people." www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/dont...
Don’t dwell on “democracy,” and other new findings about how to market local news
"Here’s the paradox: 93% of people believe reliable local news is necessary for democracy, yet many of these same people react negatively to explicit 'democracy' messaging."
www.niemanlab.org
October 2, 2025 at 8:24 PM
"While we heard throughout the research that people value the role of local news, the word 'journalism' can evoke partisanship or elitism for some audiences, while 'media' sounds like entertainment to many people." www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/dont...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
The Banner (@thebaltimorebanner.com) is one of the most promising local news nonprofits out there. I talked to the incoming editor-in-chief, CEO, and founder-backer for @niemanlab.org
The Baltimore Banner names WNYC’s Audrey Cooper as its next editor-in-chief www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/the-...
The Baltimore Banner names WNYC’s Audrey Cooper as its next editor-in-chief
The nonprofit newsroom won a Pulitzer Prize before its third birthday but is still pursuing financial sustainability. Banner news executives said to expect "an evolution, not a revolution” under the…
www.niemanlab.org
September 25, 2025 at 3:13 PM
The Banner (@thebaltimorebanner.com) is one of the most promising local news nonprofits out there. I talked to the incoming editor-in-chief, CEO, and founder-backer for @niemanlab.org
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
New by me yesterday —>
How about some good news? Could you use some good news today?
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/dall...
How about some good news? Could you use some good news today?
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/dall...
Dallas Morning News shareholders vote to deny the hedge fund Alden Global Capital
Is a newspaper a financial asset or a community trust? This particular standoff ended with an increasingly uncommon answer.
www.niemanlab.org
September 24, 2025 at 1:26 PM
New by me yesterday —>
How about some good news? Could you use some good news today?
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/dall...
How about some good news? Could you use some good news today?
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/dall...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
The average household income in Montgomery County is the 20th-highest among U.S. counties.
The county has the highest percentage (29.2%) of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate degrees. www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/nonp...
The county has the highest percentage (29.2%) of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate degrees. www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/nonp...
Nonprofit news site The Banner expands beyond Baltimore
The Banner, the three-year-old Maryland news nonprofit that earned national recognition with a Pulitzer win this year, is launching a news bureau in Montgomery County. The expansion into Maryland's mo...
www.niemanlab.org
September 15, 2025 at 7:51 PM
The average household income in Montgomery County is the 20th-highest among U.S. counties.
The county has the highest percentage (29.2%) of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate degrees. www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/nonp...
The county has the highest percentage (29.2%) of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate degrees. www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/nonp...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
“If there’s an idea here that you like, you are welcome to it, just take it — do it in your town." www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/the-...
The Current wants other local publishers to steal its event ideas
“We started as an agency thinking of ourselves as feisty investigative journalists, and now we’re just feisty investigative journalists who also produce two events.”
www.niemanlab.org
September 17, 2025 at 6:48 PM
“If there’s an idea here that you like, you are welcome to it, just take it — do it in your town." www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/the-...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
This story — which asks what happened to all of those newsroom DEI jobs, committees, and promises from 2020 — is the hardest one I've ever worked on. I hope you'll spend some time with it today.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/from...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/from...
From reckoning to retreat: Journalism’s DEI efforts are in decline
Diversity-related newsroom jobs haven't totally disappeared — but they also haven't stuck.
www.niemanlab.org
September 11, 2025 at 2:41 PM
This story — which asks what happened to all of those newsroom DEI jobs, committees, and promises from 2020 — is the hardest one I've ever worked on. I hope you'll spend some time with it today.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/from...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/from...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
One thing that struck me about my conversation with @davejorgenson.bsky.social: I think he's having...fun? With journalism? In this economy?
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/with...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/with...
With Local News International, Dave Jorgenson becomes his own TikTok guy
The former Washington Post video star talks about launching a new company with old colleagues, the importance of media literacy, and building a Daily Show for the internet.
www.niemanlab.org
September 9, 2025 at 4:50 PM
One thing that struck me about my conversation with @davejorgenson.bsky.social: I think he's having...fun? With journalism? In this economy?
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/with...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/with...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
In France, reporters are getting a cut of revenue from AI licensing deals. Among others, Le Monde has agreed to redistribute 25% of its deals with OpenAI and Perplexity.
I took a closer look at these union agreements and asked why they haven't crossed the Atlantic. www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/in-f...
I took a closer look at these union agreements and asked why they haven't crossed the Atlantic. www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/in-f...
Some French publishers are giving AI revenue directly to journalists. Could that ever happen in the U.S.?
Le Monde agreed to give journalists 25% of revenue from licensing deals with OpenAI and Perplexity. Now, other French publishers are following suit.
www.niemanlab.org
September 5, 2025 at 4:08 PM
In France, reporters are getting a cut of revenue from AI licensing deals. Among others, Le Monde has agreed to redistribute 25% of its deals with OpenAI and Perplexity.
I took a closer look at these union agreements and asked why they haven't crossed the Atlantic. www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/in-f...
I took a closer look at these union agreements and asked why they haven't crossed the Atlantic. www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/in-f...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
“Especially now, we need strong regional infrastructure that can connect smaller stations to larger entities and help them continue to provide essential local news and information to their communities.” www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/with...
With public media under siege, High Plains Public Radio builds a blueprint to cover more rural news with fewer resources
To expand regional coverage while keeping costs down, HPPR aims to build out a “contributors network” of part-time and volunteer community members coordinated by a lean central editorial team.
www.niemanlab.org
September 2, 2025 at 6:41 PM
“Especially now, we need strong regional infrastructure that can connect smaller stations to larger entities and help them continue to provide essential local news and information to their communities.” www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/with...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
"We are really active in watching how things have shook out at other news organizations, including Houston Landing,“ reporter Amy Morona said.
"We are just trying to make it for the long haul, and we think unionizing is the best way for us to do that together.”
"We are just trying to make it for the long haul, and we think unionizing is the best way for us to do that together.”
Signal Ohio joins wave of nonprofit newsroom unionization
Journalists from Signal Cleveland, Signal Akron, and Signal Statewide are seeking voluntary recognition.
www.niemanlab.org
August 26, 2025 at 10:45 PM
"We are really active in watching how things have shook out at other news organizations, including Houston Landing,“ reporter Amy Morona said.
"We are just trying to make it for the long haul, and we think unionizing is the best way for us to do that together.”
"We are just trying to make it for the long haul, and we think unionizing is the best way for us to do that together.”
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
“These stations are not just media outlets, they are cultural infrastructure.” www.niemanlab.org/2025/08/how-...
How tribal radio stations are preparing for a future without the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
“These stations are not just media outlets, they are cultural infrastructure.”
www.niemanlab.org
August 16, 2025 at 10:37 PM
“These stations are not just media outlets, they are cultural infrastructure.” www.niemanlab.org/2025/08/how-...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
“This is a nut that no one else in the country has cracked — how to translate what nonprofit newsrooms are doing for commercial TV.” www.niemanlab.org/2025/08/can-...
Can nonprofit news mix with local TV? A Pennsylvania partnership aims to find out
“This is a nut that no one else in the country has cracked — how to translate what nonprofit newsrooms are doing for commercial TV.”
www.niemanlab.org
August 16, 2025 at 2:59 PM
“This is a nut that no one else in the country has cracked — how to translate what nonprofit newsrooms are doing for commercial TV.” www.niemanlab.org/2025/08/can-...
Reposted by Sophie Culpepper
well this absolutely rules www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
Missouri’s oldest Black bookstore just closed. The Kansas City Defender plans to reopen it as a newsroom and public archive.
“The thought of losing that history, particularly in this political moment, was devastating.”
www.niemanlab.org
July 31, 2025 at 4:40 PM
well this absolutely rules www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
A beloved bookstore about to close; a determined volunteer; a local news nonprofit that got creative.
Got to write about a Kansas City icon named Willa Robinson and what @kcdefender.bsky.social is doing to preserve her remarkable book collection and legacy.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
Got to write about a Kansas City icon named Willa Robinson and what @kcdefender.bsky.social is doing to preserve her remarkable book collection and legacy.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
Missouri’s oldest Black bookstore just closed. The Kansas City Defender plans to reopen it as a newsroom and public archive.
“The thought of losing that history, particularly in this political moment, was devastating.”
www.niemanlab.org
July 31, 2025 at 8:20 PM
A beloved bookstore about to close; a determined volunteer; a local news nonprofit that got creative.
Got to write about a Kansas City icon named Willa Robinson and what @kcdefender.bsky.social is doing to preserve her remarkable book collection and legacy.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
Got to write about a Kansas City icon named Willa Robinson and what @kcdefender.bsky.social is doing to preserve her remarkable book collection and legacy.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...