Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Nieman Lab @niemanlab.org · 5d

"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

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Sarah Scott Scire @sarahscire.com · 13d

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

Nieman Lab @niemanlab.org · 13d

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

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Joshua Benton @joshuabenton.com · 14d

New by me yesterday —>

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

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Sarah Scott Scire @sarahscire.com · 22d

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...

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

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Nieman Lab @niemanlab.org · 20d

“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

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Hanaa’ Tameez @hanaatameez.bsky.social · 27d

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...

From reckoning to retreat: Journalism’s DEI efforts are in decline

www.niemanlab.org

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Neel Dhanesha @neeldhanesha.com · 29d

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...

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

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Andrew Deck @andrewdeck.bsky.social · Sep 5

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...

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

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Nieman Lab @niemanlab.org · Sep 2

“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

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Nieman Lab @niemanlab.org · Aug 26

"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.”

Signal Ohio joins wave of nonprofit newsroom unionization

Journalists from Signal Cleveland, Signal Akron, and Signal Statewide are seeking voluntary recognition.

www.niemanlab.org

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Nieman Lab @niemanlab.org · Aug 16

“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

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Nieman Lab @niemanlab.org · Aug 16

“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

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Emily Baker-White @ebakerwhite.bsky.social · Jul 31

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

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Sophie Culpepper @speppered.bsky.social · Jul 31

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...

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

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Sarah Scott Scire @sarahscire.com · Jul 31

absolutely loved this piece about @kcdefender.bsky.social and a bookstore called Willa's by @speppered.bsky.social 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

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Joshua Benton @joshuabenton.com · Jul 29

New by me —>

These are the 25 largest nonprofit news sites in the U.S. by web traffic.

Some you’d expect (like @propublica.org), others you might not (@ncronline.bsky.social, @sciencenews.bsky.social, @lapublicpress.bsky.social, @notusreports.bsky.social)

www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/nonp...

Nonprofit news sites are built to generate impact — but these are also generating audiences

In markets large and small, these nonprofit news organizations are achieving traffic numbers that many commercial outlets would envy. Here's our first monthly ranking of the top 25 nonprofit news site...

www.niemanlab.org

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Corey Hutchins @coreyhutchins.bsky.social · Jul 23

Colleges and universities can be good places to produce these kinds of state-based media newsletters. If you want to try and start one, get in touch. I’ll help! theconversation.com/i-teach-coll... #academicsky

I teach college and report on Colorado media — there should be more professors doing the same in other states

News about the news used to be commonplace, but as news organizations have vanished, so has this type of reporting.

theconversation.com

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Andrew Deck @andrewdeck.bsky.social · Jul 24

In January, I uncovered a network of AI-generated newsletters, called Good Daily, that was targeting hundreds of small towns and cities across the U.S.

This week, the newsletter company 6AM City announced it had bought Good Daily and brought its founder on board. www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/good...

6AM City acquires Good Daily’s network of more than 350 AI-generated local newsletters

6AM City will continue to operate its "core" newsletters with human editors, but will treat Good Daily’s AI-generated newsletters as "seed markets."

www.niemanlab.org

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Joshua Benton @joshuabenton.com · Jul 23

New by me —>

From now on, I’ll tell you every month which 25 local U.S. newspapers are having the most traffic success on the web.

Any guesses what (often forgotten) newspaper company owns a shocking 7 of the top 11, beating out far larger peers?

www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/how-...

How did newspapers in places like Harrisburg, Birmingham, and Syracuse become some of America’s most-read online?

They share an owner that sometimes gets forgotten — but which dominates much larger peers in web traffic. Here's our first monthly ranking of the top 25 local newspaper websites in the United States.

www.niemanlab.org

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · Jul 23

New feature alert @niemanlab.org: Traffic rankings for the top U.S. news outlets in three categories — local newspapers, nonprofit news sites, and public radio stations. First up, local newspapers

by @joshuabenton.com

How did newspapers in places like Harrisburg, Birmingham, and Syracuse become some of America’s most-read online?

They share an owner that sometimes gets forgotten — but which dominates much larger peers in web traffic. Here's our first monthly ranking of the top 25 local newspaper websites in the United States.

www.niemanlab.org

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Nieman Lab @niemanlab.org · Jul 22

The New York Times Company and the owner of The Wall Street Journal, News Corp, are also publicly traded newspaper companies. But unlike those papers, the L.A. Times — purchased by Soon-Shiong in 2018 — stands on shakier financial ground. www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/patr...

Patrick Soon-Shiong says he’ll take the L.A. Times public within a year

The Los Angeles Times will be a public company within the next year, its billionaire owner told Daily Show host Jon Stewart on Monday night. "Whether you are right, left, Democrat, Republican: you're…

www.niemanlab.org

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Reposted by Sophie Culpepper

Nieman Lab @niemanlab.org · Jul 21

Local stations — from New York City to Indigenous communities — will be the most impacted by the rescission and will likely have to lay off staff, reduce programming, and more if they don't find ways to replace government funds.

www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/publ...

Public media appeals to audiences for support after Congress cuts off its funding

Stations are tapping audiences to try to raise the money Congress took away.

www.niemanlab.org

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Sophie Culpepper @speppered.bsky.social · Jul 18

@laurahazardowen.bsky.social @sarahscire.com @joshuabenton.com edits elevated this story. Not lost on me, thinking abt impact / audience / cadence, that I'm lucky to work somewhere that gave me the time to dive deep.

Special s/o to Josh for design magic (don't miss the Texas storybreaks!!) (3/3)

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Sophie Culpepper @speppered.bsky.social · Jul 18

The factors leading to the Landing’s closure may be unique. But its challenges — how to balance the pursuit of impact with building an audience; how to carve out a niche among more established local outlets; how ample seed funding can become a liability — are relevant to other news nonprofits. (2/3)

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Sophie Culpepper @speppered.bsky.social · Jul 18

If you are involved in trying to make nonprofit news sustainable, I wrote and reported this story for you!

So much news that deserves our attention right now, but I hope you'll spend some time with my Houston Landing retrospective for @niemanlab.org (1/3)

www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/what...

What went wrong at the Houston Landing?

“We tried to be too much, too fast, for too many people.”

www.niemanlab.org

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