Author | Lightnews

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · 13d

Everyone’s chasing the next platform.
Meanwhile, creators are back on Facebook, and audiences never left YouTube.
Maybe the future of trust and connection isn’t somewhere new — it’s somewhere we stopped showing up.

open.substack.com/pub/yonigre/...

#Media #Trust #BackstoryAndStrategy

The Platforms We Forgot Still Work

Creators are back on Facebook. Audiences never left YouTube. Maybe the next big thing in news isn’t new at all — it’s where trust already lives

open.substack.com

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · 14d

Public media can’t fix itself with the same tools that broke it.
The infrastructure that built it isn’t the one that will save it.
Here’s why we need to rebuild, not restore:
yonigre.substack.com/p/the-infras...

The Infrastructure That Built Public Media Won't Save It

With CPB shutting down after 58 years and audiences already on-demand, survival depends on the one thing the system has always resisted: real experimentation. Some stations are already proving it work...

yonigre.substack.com

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · 19d

Vibe coding flips software creation on its head.

No dev team. No big budget. No permission. Just a clear problem and a strong idea.

What’s the first thing you’d build if the barrier was gone?

🔗 yonigre.substack.com/p/vibe-codin...

The Era of Permission is Over

Building software used to mean hiring a dev team or learning to code. Vibe coding changes that. All you need now is a problem to solve — and a clear vision of what you want built.

yonigre.substack.com

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · 21d

Heading to Chicago for meetings with news leaders ahead of #NPASUMMIT 2025.

If you're arriving early for the summit, let's connect for a coffee. I'm keen to talk about the work we're doing at the American Press Institute on influencers, impact, and trust.

DM me to connect! #journalism

1

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · 27d

Been experimenting with making my Substack archive more useful.

I built an AI 'Pocket Coach' that lets you have a conversation with all my past posts on strategy, journalism, and nonprofits. It turns a static archive into an interactive tool.

Try it out here:

yonigre.substack.com/p/stop-searc...

Introducing the Backstory & Strategy Pocket Coach

I built a new AI-powered tool to help you stop searching and start solving. Instantly search my entire archive, get key takeaways, and find the strategic insights you need, right when you need them.

yonigre.substack.com

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Sep 25

We don’t need more meetings. We need better ones.
That’s why I built AgendaFlow: a fast way to turn chaos into clarity.
Make meetings feel like progress, not punishment.
🔗 app.backstoryandstrategy.com

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Aug 8

Is "if it bleeds, it leads" still a winning strategy for news?

We bet against it. We built a newscast around context instead of crime tape and beat the competition.

Viewers don't want more spectacle, they want respect. My story:
yonigre.substack.com/p/why-if-it-...

Why “If It Bleeds, It Leads” Is Failing Local News

Local TV has leaned on crime for decades. But audiences are showing that fear-driven coverage doesn’t just cost trust—it’s bad strategy.

yonigre.substack.com

1

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Jul 30

Exciting news: On Aug. 4, I’ll join the American Press Institute as VP of Product Strategy. 15 years after speaking there, I return at a critical moment for journalism. Why I’m hopeful despite the challenges: yonigre.substack.com/p/back-to-ap...

#journalism #product #strategy

Back to API, 15 Years Later — and Why It Matters Now

I’m returning to the American Press Institute as VP of Product Strategy at a critical moment for journalism.

yonigre.substack.com

1

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Jul 23

Public media is banking on corporate giving to fill a $1.1B clawback.

But a change to federal tax law just rewrote the rules.
I break it down here:

yonigre.substack.com/p/the-floor-...

#nonprofitmedia #journalism #fundraising

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Jul 21

Urgency grabs attention.
But what happens after the crisis fades?
New on Backstory & Strategy: why nonprofit media & mission-driven orgs need to build for endurance, not just adrenaline.
yonigre.substack.com/p/when-the-s...

When the Sirens Fade

Saving the infrastructure behind public media—before the alarms stop working

yonigre.substack.com

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Jul 16

I've spent my career in local news. But this week, I found myself asking:
Do I live in a news desert?
A personal reflection on shrinking coverage, civic info gaps, and what happens when your own community is left out.
🔗 yonigre.substack.com/p/do-i-live-...

Do I Live in a News Desert?

It's not a desert, but we're in a drought. A look at what's lost when local news outlets retreat from our towns.

yonigre.substack.com

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Jul 16

In 2008, someone pitched me a product. I pitched back something else entirely.
That moment shaped how I think about business relationships to this day.
The full story—and what it taught me about finding partners instead of vendors:
🔗 yonigre.substack.com/p/stop-looki...

yonigre.substack.com

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Jul 15

🎙️ Launching Backstory & Strategy—a podcast about leadership, trust, and the real decisions behind the scenes.

14 episodes are live. New ones drop most weekdays. Thoughtful, practical, no fluff.

Apple: yoni.short.gy/Q1IRKd
Spotify: yoni.short.gy/vNJTmD
Amazon: yoni.short.gy/piE655

#podcasts

Backstory & Strategy

Non-Profit Podcast · Updated Daily · Why do great strategies stall? What’s the hidden cost of “wait and see”? How do you build a sustainable model in a world of constant change? Welcome to Backstory &...

yoni.short.gy

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Jul 14

Announcing the Backstory & Strategy Podcast!

My Substack is now in audio form. I'm launching with 14 episodes, with new ones dropping most weekdays. The full written archive is also coming to audio soon.

Listen here:
Apple: yoni.short.gy/Q1IRKd
Spotify: yoni.short.gy/vNJTmD

#podcast #strategy

Backstory & Strategy

Non-Profit Podcast · Updated Daily · Why do great strategies stall? What’s the hidden cost of “wait and see”? How do you build a sustainable model in a world of constant change? Welcome to Backstory &...

yoni.short.gy

1

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Jul 14

My new podcast, Backstory & Strategy, is live.

The first episode covers the critical difference between a vendor and a partner—one sends invoices, the other shares your goals.

A key lesson from my Philly.com days. Listen here:
yoni.short.gy/9Chu6h

#Podcast #Leadership #BusinessStrategy

1

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Jul 11

When leaders get stuck, the "wait and see" approach isn't neutral. It's a costly stall that erodes team morale and trust.

My new piece covers why this happens and how to get things moving again, whether you're making the call or waiting for it.

yonigre.substack.com/p/the-hidden...

The Hidden Cost of “Let’s Wait and See”

What happens when leadership gets stuck—and how to get things moving again

yonigre.substack.com

1

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Jul 9

Many nonprofits chase recurring revenue without seeing the cash flow trap it can create. I break down the hidden risks of the "sustainer" model and offer a 3-part strategy for building a program that's actually sustainable. #nonprofit #fundraising

yonigre.substack.com/p/the-myth-o...

The Myth of the Self-Sustaining Membership

Part of the 💬 Mind the Gap series on mission + money in nonprofit media

yonigre.substack.com

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Jul 8

Why don't newsrooms learn from mistakes (and successes) like hospitals do?

My post explores using M&M Conferences for blameless post-mortems and Grand Rounds to systematically study what works. A path to a better culture.

yonigre.substack.com/p/what...

#journalism #newsnerds

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Jul 7

Early in my career, it felt like I suddenly had 20 bosses who all thought they were the CEO. Sound familiar?

My new piece is about the skill no one teaches you: managing your Board. I share how to turn that chaos into a strategic asset.

Read the guide (link in bio).

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Jul 7

Does your nonprofit board create more work than value?

It's the most common source of friction in nonprofits: the blurred line between governance & management.

I wrote a practical guide on how to fix it, with scripts for your staff and a playbook for leaders.

Link in bio to read the full piece.

1

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Jul 5

Perfect for a Saturday evening scroll.

This week on Backstory & Strategy, I published a new tool: a practical framework for making purpose-driven decisions 🧭

Plus, deep dives on the future of news & 'culture fit'. Catch up on the week's reads.

Link in bio!

#Strategy #Leadership #DecisionMaking

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Jul 4

Long before we had feeds and timelines, newspapers were the glue that held a new nation together. My latest article looks at how these original social networks delivered independence to the American people. The full post is in my bio.

#History #4thofJuly #Journalism #AmericanRevolution

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Jul 3

Are you accidentally filtering out your best candidates by misjudging "culture fit"? My new article discusses how to use cultural alignment as a powerful tool for building a successful team. Read the full post in my bio.

#Hiring #Recruitment #CultureFit #Leadership

1

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Jul 2

My latest piece is a blueprint for revitalizing local news in Pennsylvania. I'm proposing a Civic Media Fund, a public-private partnership to support our journalists and combat "news deserts." Check out the full post in my bio. #localnews #journalism #Pennsylvania

Yoni Greenbaum @yonigre.bsky.social · Jul 1

ICYMI, I built a free toolkit for the tough "mission vs. money" calls.

It includes a printable PDF and a fully interactive Google Sheet to help guide your strategic decisions.

Get your copy here:
yonigre.substack.com/p/a-practica...

#Leadership #DecisionMaking

A Practical Framework for Purpose-Driven Decisions

Inspired by the hard calls I've faced in my career, I've distilled my process into a free, one-page guide to help you navigate your own.

yonigre.substack.com