What Works
@whatworks-nu.bsky.social
What Works: The Future of Local News, from Northeastern University's School of Jouralism and the Center for Transformative Media. Visit us at whatworks.news
The new "What Works" podcast is up, just in time for your holiday driving pleasure! Todd Landfried tells @ellenclegg.bsky.social and @dankennedy.net about The Local, his vision for streaming video newscasts in all 50 states. Plus: Our Quick Takes on developments in local news.
Todd Landfried tells us about The Local, his vision for streaming video newscasts in all 50 states
On the latest “What Works” podcast, Dan and Ellen talk with Todd Landfried, co-founder and CEO of N2 Media Holdings. As consumers cut the cord on cable TV, he hopes to develop a sustain…
whatworks.news
November 26, 2025 at 12:56 PM
The new "What Works" podcast is up, just in time for your holiday driving pleasure! Todd Landfried tells @ellenclegg.bsky.social and @dankennedy.net about The Local, his vision for streaming video newscasts in all 50 states. Plus: Our Quick Takes on developments in local news.
New at What Works: @northeasternu.bsky.social researchers offer a lifeline for TV newsrooms seeking younger audiences. whatworks.news/2025/11/24/n...
Northeastern researchers offer a lifeline for TV newsrooms seeking younger audiences
Researchers and local journalism experts at Northeastern University, in partnership with industry-leading audience research firm SmithGeiger Group, have published a survival guide for local TV news…
whatworks.news
November 24, 2025 at 5:45 PM
New at What Works: @northeasternu.bsky.social researchers offer a lifeline for TV newsrooms seeking younger audiences. whatworks.news/2025/11/24/n...
The @sltrib.com has been a beacon for large daily newspapers since going nonprofit. Now it's getting ready to drop its paywall. www.sltrib.com/news/2025/11...
The Salt Lake Tribune will drop its paywall next year, CEO tells donors at NewsMakers gala
After years of requiring people to pay for online news content, The Tribune announced an upcoming change during its 2025 annual NewsMakers Gala.
www.sltrib.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:40 PM
The @sltrib.com has been a beacon for large daily newspapers since going nonprofit. Now it's getting ready to drop its paywall. www.sltrib.com/news/2025/11...
New at Media Nation: Layoffs at The Dallas Morning News by Hearst provoke a bitter "we told you so" from Alden Global Capital, which lost a bidding war for the paper despite offering more money. dankennedy.net/2025/11/21/l...
Layoffs in Dallas by Hearst provoke a bitter ‘we told you so’ from Alden Global Capital
Alden Global Capital, the hedge fund responsible for hollowing out newspapers from coast to coast and at all points in between, is trying to have the last laugh at rival Hearst’s expense. Ear…
dankennedy.net
November 21, 2025 at 5:59 PM
New at Media Nation: Layoffs at The Dallas Morning News by Hearst provoke a bitter "we told you so" from Alden Global Capital, which lost a bidding war for the paper despite offering more money. dankennedy.net/2025/11/21/l...
The @apnews.com raises $30 million in philanthropic dollars to provide Associated Press coverage to local newsrooms. www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/ap-f...
AP Fund for Journalism secures over $30 million to bring AP content to local US newsrooms - Editor and Publisher
AP Fund for Journalism today announced significant commitments from several organizations, including the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Lilly Endowment Inc. and the John D. and Catherine T. M...
www.editorandpublisher.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:51 PM
The @apnews.com raises $30 million in philanthropic dollars to provide Associated Press coverage to local newsrooms. www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/ap-f...
The @bostonglobe.com launches its long-promised weekly newsletter covering high-school sports. www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/the-...
The Boston Globe’s High School Sports Team launches weekly newsletter to enhance high school sports coverage - Editor and Publisher
The “Varsity News” newsletter will deliver original content and opportunities for community involvement.
www.editorandpublisher.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:49 PM
The @bostonglobe.com launches its long-promised weekly newsletter covering high-school sports. www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/the-...
Great reporting by This Week in Worcester. thisweekinworcester.com/exclusive-tr...
Exclusive: Trump DHS Plans Immigration Raids on Churches Over Holidays
The Trump Dept. of Homeland Security is briefing federal agencies on plans for immigration enforcement operations inside churches over holidays.
thisweekinworcester.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Great reporting by This Week in Worcester. thisweekinworcester.com/exclusive-tr...
This is so impressive. @ellenclegg.bsky.social and @dankennedy.net profiled The Mendocino Voice in their book, "What Works in Community News." The Voice is a very different project today but still turning out great work. baycitynews.bluelena.io/index.php?ac...
Who’s behind the local news in Mendocino County?
Real reporters. Real...
baycitynews.bluelena.io
November 14, 2025 at 5:36 PM
This is so impressive. @ellenclegg.bsky.social and @dankennedy.net profiled The Mendocino Voice in their book, "What Works in Community News." The Voice is a very different project today but still turning out great work. baycitynews.bluelena.io/index.php?ac...
Good story in @niemanlab.org about our friends at @bostonu.bsky.social and the BU Newsroom, which offers student-produced coverage to hyperlocal news outlets in Greater 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 9:00 PM
Good story in @niemanlab.org about our friends at @bostonu.bsky.social and the BU Newsroom, which offers student-produced coverage to hyperlocal news outlets in Greater Boston. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/a-wi...
Are there warning signs in rosy announcements about funding for local news? @dicktofel.bsky.social lifts the lid. dicktofel.substack.com/p/why-happy-...
Why Happy Talk Isn’t the Answer for Local News
Overstating revenue gains and ignoring failures doesn't help
dicktofel.substack.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Are there warning signs in rosy announcements about funding for local news? @dicktofel.bsky.social lifts the lid. dicktofel.substack.com/p/why-happy-...
Editor & Publisher's @gretchenapeck.bsky.social reports on new findings that states with fewer newspapers are less likely to comply with public records laws — and that strong press associations are a key to government transparency. www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/when...
When newspapers disappear, transparency declines: Brechner Center FOIA research reveals troubling trends - Editor and Publisher
When newspapers vanish, so does transparency. Two groundbreaking studies from the Brechner Center for the Advancement of the First Amendment expose how FOIA compliance suffers in states with fewer loc...
www.editorandpublisher.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Editor & Publisher's @gretchenapeck.bsky.social reports on new findings that states with fewer newspapers are less likely to comply with public records laws — and that strong press associations are a key to government transparency. www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/when...
A couple of quick hits from @niemanlab.org on the local news beat:
First: "Want to build a sustainable local newsroom? These 21 steps will help you get there, a new report finds." www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/want... (1/2)
First: "Want to build a sustainable local newsroom? These 21 steps will help you get there, a new report finds." www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/want... (1/2)
Want to build a sustainable local newsroom? These 21 steps will help you get there, a new report finds
“Having dedicated staff to generate revenue was transformational to an organization’s chances of sustainability.”
www.niemanlab.org
November 13, 2025 at 12:14 AM
A couple of quick hits from @niemanlab.org on the local news beat:
First: "Want to build a sustainable local newsroom? These 21 steps will help you get there, a new report finds." www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/want... (1/2)
First: "Want to build a sustainable local newsroom? These 21 steps will help you get there, a new report finds." www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/want... (1/2)
On the brand spanking new "What Works" podcast, Kade Krichko tells us about the global localism of Ori magazine. Plus: Jon Keller is at large, and we talk about the future of local TV news. whatworks.news/2025/11/12/k...
Kade Krichko tells us about the global localism of Ori magazine; plus, Jon Keller is at large
On the latest “What Works” podcast, Dan talks with Kade Krichko, the founder of Ori magazine, a beautifully crafted premium print publication devoted to grassroots storytelling across t…
whatworks.news
November 12, 2025 at 1:15 PM
On the brand spanking new "What Works" podcast, Kade Krichko tells us about the global localism of Ori magazine. Plus: Jon Keller is at large, and we talk about the future of local TV news. whatworks.news/2025/11/12/k...
Santa Cruz Local hires a managing editor. Alexandria Bordas is an experienced journalist who currently heads Cabrillo College's journalism department. mailchi.mp/santacruzloc...
Meet our new managing editor!
mailchi.mp
November 9, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Santa Cruz Local hires a managing editor. Alexandria Bordas is an experienced journalist who currently heads Cabrillo College's journalism department. mailchi.mp/santacruzloc...
New at What Works: The Plymouth Independent names a Pulitzer winner as its next editor. whatworks.news/2025/11/07/t...
The Plymouth Independent names a Pulitzer winner as its next editor
The Plymouth Independent, a digital startup that ranks among the larger such projects in Eastern Massachusetts, has named a new executive editor. David Kidwell, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist …
whatworks.news
November 7, 2025 at 2:12 PM
New at What Works: The Plymouth Independent names a Pulitzer winner as its next editor. whatworks.news/2025/11/07/t...
The @walthamtimes.bsky.social, a nonprofit startup in the Boston area, is seeking a part-time assistant editor, an ad sales rep and a board member. walthamtimes.org/join-our-team/
Join our team – Waltham Times
We are seeking a board member with development experience: We are seeking a Media Sales Representative to join our team and connect businesses with our engaged readership. They will be […]
walthamtimes.org
November 5, 2025 at 9:51 PM
The @walthamtimes.bsky.social, a nonprofit startup in the Boston area, is seeking a part-time assistant editor, an ad sales rep and a board member. walthamtimes.org/join-our-team/
For people living in the Deep South, local news is what really matters. deepsouthtoday.org/2025/10/29/w...
Where the Story Lives - Deep South Today
This fall, Deep South Today partnered with Murmuration, a nonprofit that strengthens community-driven change at the local level, to understand how people across the Deep South stay informed: where the...
deepsouthtoday.org
October 30, 2025 at 4:07 PM
For people living in the Deep South, local news is what really matters. deepsouthtoday.org/2025/10/29/w...
Since 2021, @ellenclegg.bsky.social and @dankennedy.net have recorded 107 episodes of the "What Works" podcast, interviewing entrepreneurs and thought leaders on the future of local news. Our latest is with Rick Goldsmith, whose film "Stripped for Parts" is streaming on @pbs.org. Give us a listen!
Podcast
Welcome to the conversation From Northeastern University’s School of Journalism and the Center for Transformative Media, welcome to “What Works: The Future of Local News,” hosted by former Boston G…
whatworks.news
October 30, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Since 2021, @ellenclegg.bsky.social and @dankennedy.net have recorded 107 episodes of the "What Works" podcast, interviewing entrepreneurs and thought leaders on the future of local news. Our latest is with Rick Goldsmith, whose film "Stripped for Parts" is streaming on @pbs.org. Give us a listen!
Another headache for news publishers: How AI browsers sneak past blockers and paywalls. www.cjr.org/analysis/how...
How AI browsers sneak past blockers and paywalls.
OpenAI’s Atlas and Perplexity’s Comet present a new challenge for media companies that want to limit AI access.
www.cjr.org
October 30, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Another headache for news publishers: How AI browsers sneak past blockers and paywalls. www.cjr.org/analysis/how...
What Works co-leader @dankennedy.net talks with @iandonnis.bsky.social of @oceanstatemedia.bsky.social about why the local-news ecosystem in Mass. (and R.I.) is stronger than it is in some other parts of the country. www.oceanstatemedia.org/news-and-cul...
Even in 2025, Rhode Island and Massachusetts boast stronger media landscapes than most states
But coverage outside the capitals can sometimes get spotty
www.oceanstatemedia.org
October 29, 2025 at 2:49 PM
What Works co-leader @dankennedy.net talks with @iandonnis.bsky.social of @oceanstatemedia.bsky.social about why the local-news ecosystem in Mass. (and R.I.) is stronger than it is in some other parts of the country. www.oceanstatemedia.org/news-and-cul...
Call us skeptical: Nextdoor doubles down on local news — here's why publishers should care.
www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/next...
www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/next...
Nextdoor doubles down on local news — here’s why publishers should care - Editor and Publisher
While Facebook and X have been retreating from news, Nextdoor is moving in the opposite direction. The neighborhood-based platform has rolled out a redesign, brought back its original branding, and is...
www.editorandpublisher.com
October 29, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Call us skeptical: Nextdoor doubles down on local news — here's why publishers should care.
www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/next...
www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/next...
On the new "What Works" podcast, Rick Goldsmith tells us about "Stripped for Parts," his jeremiad against hedge-fund journalism. whatworks.news/2025/10/28/r...
Rick Goldsmith tells us about ‘Stripped for Parts,’ his jeremiad against hedge-fund journalism
On the latest “What Works” podcast, Dan is flying solo because Ellen is recovering from knee-replacement surgery. But fear not — she was behind the scenes making sure this episode got r…
whatworks.news
October 28, 2025 at 11:19 AM
On the new "What Works" podcast, Rick Goldsmith tells us about "Stripped for Parts," his jeremiad against hedge-fund journalism. whatworks.news/2025/10/28/r...
New at What Works: The New York Times discovers Maine's Midcoast Villager. Here's the rest of the story. whatworks.news/2025/10/27/t...
The New York Times discovers Maine’s Midcoast Villager. Here’s the rest of the story.
By Dan Kennedy The Midcoast Villager, an innovative weekly newspaper based in Camden, Maine, got The New York Times treatment last week. But though the Times lavished attention on the high-profile …
whatworks.news
October 27, 2025 at 2:45 PM
New at What Works: The New York Times discovers Maine's Midcoast Villager. Here's the rest of the story. whatworks.news/2025/10/27/t...
Alden Global Capital's @denverpost.com owes the city of Denver $2 million in back rent on its former headquarters, @coreyhutchins.bsky.social reports. coloradomedia.substack.com/p/awkward-de...
Awkward! Denver Post quits paying city rent as paper covers city's budget woes
The news behind the news in Colorado
coloradomedia.substack.com
October 25, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Alden Global Capital's @denverpost.com owes the city of Denver $2 million in back rent on its former headquarters, @coreyhutchins.bsky.social reports. coloradomedia.substack.com/p/awkward-de...
A new nonprofit, the Tulsa Flyer, achieves liftoff — and is helping to revitalize The Oklahoma Eagle, a historic Black-owned newspaper. tulsaflyer.org/tulsa-flyer-...
Tulsa Flyer Launches
New nonprofit news organization the Tulsa Flyer launches its free daily news website, vastly expanding journalism that serves Tulsa’s needs
tulsaflyer.org
October 23, 2025 at 4:58 PM
A new nonprofit, the Tulsa Flyer, achieves liftoff — and is helping to revitalize The Oklahoma Eagle, a historic Black-owned newspaper. tulsaflyer.org/tulsa-flyer-...