212 A 16-year-old launches a news site that is out-reporting the local Gannett "ghost paper."
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
Release Date: 11/11/2023
320 When Minneapolis becomes the story: Inside the Star Tribune’s newsroom and brand response
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
When national attention suddenly converges on a single city, the decisions made inside one local newsroom can shape how the entire world understands what’s happening. That is the position The Minnesota Star Tribune now finds itself in as immigration enforcement activity in Minneapolis draws intense national and international scrutiny. In this moment, journalism, safety, credibility, and brand strategy are no longer separate conversations — they are happening at once, in real time. This behind-the-scenes look reveals how the Star Tribune’s newsroom and leadership are navigating pressure,...
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319 Funding innovation from the ground up: How the National Trust for Local News is rethinking change
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
Local journalism has no shortage of big ideas about innovation — but far fewer examples of those ideas being funded, tested, and trusted by the people closest to the work. After a year of scrutiny, retrenchment and hard questions about its future, the National Trust for Local News is experimenting with a different approach: putting real money and real authority directly into the hands of journalists. At the center of that shift is a first-of-its-kind Innovation Sprint designed to surface newsroom-driven solutions, not executive theory. This conversation explores what happens when innovation...
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318 Inside “The Noise War”: A field manual for journalists fighting disinformation
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
Disinformation is no longer a background hazard of modern journalism — it is a coordinated, weaponized assault on truth itself. In a world where lies travel faster than facts and chaos is deliberately engineered to exhaust the public, national security correspondent JJ Green says journalists are now fighting a real war for credibility. Drawing on decades of coverage of intelligence, conflict zones and information warfare, Green frames today’s media crisis as an existential battle for democratic survival. His new book, “The Noise War,” is not a warning shot — it’s a field manual for...
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317 The Baltimore Banner enters a new year — and a new chapter — with a new editor-in-chief
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
Local journalism is shrinking in much of the country — but The Baltimore Banner is moving in the opposite direction. In just two years, the nonprofit newsroom has grown into Maryland’s largest reporting operation, expanded beyond Baltimore, and built a fast-growing base of paying subscribers. Now, with their new editor-in-chief Audrey Cooper at the helm, The Banner is doubling down on a belief that many in the industry have quietly abandoned: scale still matters. In this wide-ranging conversation, the newsroom’s new leader explains why growth, impact, and sustainability are inseparable...
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316 Ninety-eight percent say AI can’t replace journalists. New study reveals why that matters now.
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
What news consumers are really saying about AI: insights from the Trusting News/LMA study A new national survey of nearly 1,500 local news consumers reveals growing concern about AI’s role in journalism—but also a clear path forward. Funded by the Walton Family Foundation and conducted by the Local Media Association and Trusting News, the study shows audiences overwhelmingly want human oversight, transparency, and clarity about how AI is used. John Humenik of LMA and Lynn Walsh of Trusting News joined E&P Reports to break down the results. Their message: trust is still...
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315 New year, new rules: Jeff Jarvis says local journalism must reinvent itself now
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
http://www.EditorandPublisher.com/Vodcasts Jeff Jarvis has never been interested in nostalgia. In a wide‑ranging conversation with E&P Magazine, the longtime media critic, author and journalism educator argues that the survival of local news depends not on preserving legacy structures, but on abandoning them. From print to platforms, from content to community, Jarvis insists that journalism’s future lies in collaboration, service and listening — not scale or tradition. Access more at this episode’s landing page, at:
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314 Scholar Stuart Brotman sounds the alarm: Free expression is under fire
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
Free expression in America isn’t collapsing all at once — it’s eroding quietly, often in ways the public barely notices. In a wide‑ranging conversation, First Amendment scholar Stuart N. Brotman warns that political pressure, platform power and public misunderstanding are reshaping the boundaries of press freedom in real time. Drawing on decades of experience across academia, government and media policy, Brotman makes the case that the next few years will be decisive. And he argues that local journalism may be the strongest remaining force capable of rebuilding trust, civic...
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313 Rewriting the California story: USA Today bets big on statewide local journalism
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
California isn’t just a state. It’s a story still being written, and USA Today wants a front-row seat. With the launch of Today Californian, the national news giant is investing in a bold new experiment: statewide coverage designed to meet readers wherever they are — from inbox to Instagram. “We’re positioning ourselves as highly relevant,” says Greg Burton, the project’s editorial lead. The goal? To create a digital-first newsroom that feels local, acts regional and delivers impact at scale. Access more at this episode’s landing page, at:
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312 From hauling freight to holding judges accountable: Mark Puente’s fight for courtroom access
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
Mark Puente didn’t go to j-school — he drove trucks for 15 years before stepping into a newsroom. But when a judge tried to block him from observing a public court hearing, Puente didn’t flinch. Armed with experience, instinct, and a phone call to his editor, he stood his ground — ready to risk contempt rather than walk away. What followed wasn’t just a clash over access, but a moment that reveals why blue-collar grit still matters in American journalism. Access more at this episode’s landing page, at:
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311 Half of U.S. teens think journalists make up quotes and do favors for sources, new report finds
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
If you think young people aren’t paying attention to the news, think again — they are, and they have thoughts. A new study reveals just how skeptical today’s teens are about the press, and the results should make every newsroom take notice. From questions of fairness to fears of fabrication, Gen Z is forming strong opinions about who to trust. In this episode, we dive into what teens really believe — and why it matters for the future of journalism. Access more at this episode’s landing page, at:
info_outlineOn September 11, 2023, Jason Sethre, publisher of the Fillmore County (MN) Journal, posted an op-ed with the headline: "One Moment, Please… Hutchinson News in Kansas or Minnesota?" Within the piece, he reported that subscribers to the Hutchinson (KS) News were greeted one day with a front page showing a group of senior citizens having an outing on a lake in Hutchinson, Minnesota, with a headline of a story showing how the Hutchinson Senior Center keeps seniors busy with an array of activities… in Hutchinson, Minnesota.
With a sartorial slant, Sethre wrote, "Apparently, The Hutchinson News in Hutchinson, Kansas, covers stories about what's happening in Hutchinson, Minnesota — 628 miles away.” However, he explained to his readers how once-thriving newspapers, bought by large corporations (in this case, Gannett), have downsized operations so much that there is minimal local reporting, and mistakes such as this made by an out-of-town editor can happen. Sethre wrote, "For the community of Hutchinson, Kansas, it's an absolute disaster with what has happened to their local newspaper. Gannett bought the newspaper from the Harris family in 2016 and ran it into the ground rather quickly. They laid off nearly all the staff that made this once Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper.” He added that staff "live in other states and write about what is happening in a community in which they have no connection. The designers working on the publication layout don't live in that area either. The story on the front page of The Hutchinson News that had nothing to do with Hutchinson, Kansas, is the result of a media company that is completely disconnected from the communities they serve. And this is one of the many problems with newspapers owned by corporations. They don't care about the communities they serve. They only care about satisfying shareholders.”
However, all is not lost for the citizens of Hutchinson, Kansas, because 16-year-old high school student Michael Glenn has launched a new online-only news publication — The Hutchinson Tribune, which now covers important meetings, elections, culture and even high school sports for this community of over 40,000. Using Substack for a CMS, the Tribune now offers the news people crave, plus provides a subscription plan for expanded content for as low as $8 a month. In addition, Glenn has recruited several adult reporters to submit content to the venture.
Is there a benefit to visiting this new site for a Hutchinson resident who craves a local journalistic voice?
On the day of this posting, the Gannett-owned Hutchinson News (HutchNews.com) had only six stories posted within one week that reported on a local city issue or included a local Hutchinson source or event. The new Tribune site had 27 articles, two op-eds and seven local sports pieces. Plus, if you click on any local headline on the news site, you hit the Gannett hard paywall, asking for just 23 cents a week to get the two weekly issues of the printed paper, see USA Today's digital crossword and see all the "features" of an undefined "Essential Digital." For an additional $1, you can get six months of site content and the newspaper's digital replica as well.
However, all the stories on HutchTribune.com can be accessed up to the 1st four paragraphs. However, each page has a plea to subscribe and contribute to support the site.
In this episode of "E&P Reports," we go one-on-one with 16-year-old Hutchinson, Kansas high school student Michael Glenn, who became frustrated when his local Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper, The Hutchinson News, was sold to Gannett and downsized over a few years to a "ghost paper" of two local employees, with most content being generated from out of state. So, in the summer of 2023, Glenn recruited a team of journalists and started the competing Hutchinson Tribune at HutchTribune.com, which now out-reports the HutchNews.com site 36 local stories to six (on the day of this posting).