Local News Business Innovation: Indy Group in US Buys Local Chain and Canadian Newsletter Startup Expands

May 04, 2021

With the challenges of local media in the English-speaking world, we're seeing new models develop. In Denver Colorado, a group of journalists felt that the city needed an alternative to the hedge fund-owned Denver Post, which has been decimated by cuts. They launched the Colorado Sun, and now with support from the National Trust for Local News, they have bought a chain of 24 family-owned newspapers serving the Denver suburbs. And in Canada, a newsletter-based news group has just announced a major expansion. New models in local news!

Plus, Twitter is broadening who can use Spaces, its Clubhouse clone. TikTok personalities are becoming Gen Z's go to for news. How local mags are pursuing reader revenue. And Nieman Lab's Josh Benton throws some shade on whatever plans private equity group Apollo has for nineties internet stars, Yahoo and AOL.

The news site Colorado Sun was created by Denver journalists dismayed over slashing cuts by the Denver Post's hedge fund owners. Now The Sun and a new foundation are taking over 24 suburban papers.

As local papers close their doors, a morning newsletter defied the odds. Now its founder aims to push the model nationwide

Scale and Private Equity Won't Resurrect 90s Internet Models

And, as usual for this glum moment in media, it's a private equity firm that wants a crack at finding new places to cut.

Twitter Opens Up Clubhouse Clone to More Users

Twitter Spaces, the company’s new live audio rooms feature, is opening up more broadly. The company announced today it’s making Twitter Spaces available to any account with 600 followers or more, including both iOS and Android users. It also officially unveiled some of the features it’s preparing to launch, like Ticketed Spaces, scheduling features, reminders, […]

Twitter Shows Local News Some Love

Amid the pandemic, local news companies have suffered devastating financial blows.

TikTok Delivering News to Gen Z

Meet the Walter Cronkites of the video platform.

Local Mags' Reader Revenue Models

In the recent Piano Academy session, “How Local and National Publications are Transforming Their Businesses Through Reader Revenue,” we compared how local publications Philadelphia and Boston Magazines and national publication Forbes launched their subscription models. In this post, we deep-dive into Philadelphia Magazine’s approach with Paul Lopreiato, Associate Director of Audience Products and Analytics. Leading …