205 A mission is to transform global news coverage by recruiting, training and then employing women journalists world-wide.
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
Release Date: 09/17/2023
301 Censorship, cancel culture, and the First Amendment — why local publishers can’t afford to look away
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
When billion-dollar networks like CBS and ABC cave to political pressure and late-night stars like Colbert and Kimmel get muzzled, what chance does a small-town publisher have? If Washington can bend the most prominent players in media, local newspapers — already stretched thin by lawsuits, advertiser boycotts, and the rise of AI — are staring down an even harsher storm. That’s why Bob Corn-Revere, one of America’s top First Amendment lawyers, warns now is the moment to stiffen spines. “A spine is a terrible thing to waste,” he said — and for publishers, wasting it could mean...
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300 After the Kirk shooting, Peter Laufer warns: Journalism is more dangerous than ever
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
In a world where speaking out can result in being silenced forever, journalism itself is under attack. Hours before this conversation was taped, commentator and podcaster Charlie Kirk was gunned down at an event at Utah Valley University — a stark reminder that public voices, whether political or journalistic, face real and rising danger. Against that backdrop, Dr. Peter Laufer, world-traveling journalist, author and editor of the new book “Don't Shoot the Journalists: Migrating to Stay Alive,” joined E&P Reports to explore what’s at stake when reporters are exiled, threatened or...
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299 Behind the launch: A closer look at the Philly-area’s new Fideri News Network
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
When that Broad + Liberty and Access Network were merging to form the Fideri News Network, the press release generated more questions than answers: What exactly is this new company? How is it structured? Is it truly positioned to become a meaningful player in today's media landscape, or simply a rebranding of existing outlets? To delve deeper into the announcement, E&P sat down with Broad + Liberty CEO Terry Tracy and Access Global Advisors CEO Jim McDonald, now chairman of the network, for a closer look at what Fideri actually is — and what it aims to become. Access more at this...
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298 USA TODAY doubles down on women’s sports with Heather Burns at the helm
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
Heather Burns has spent three decades breaking barriers in sports journalism — and now she’s making history as USA Today’s first women’s sports editor. From building ESPN’s NFL Nation team to championing deeper coverage of women’s athletics, Burns brings both experience and passion to the role. “It can’t always be cheerleading,” she says. “It’s also got to be good journalism with integrity.” With a new strategy called Studio 9 and the power of the USA Today Network behind her, she’s determined to give women’s sports the coverage it has always deserved. Access more...
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297 The future of news: A deeper look at ASU’s Knight Center experiment
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
The Knight Center for the Future of News at ASU’s Cronkite School isn’t tinkering at the edges of journalism — it’s ripping up the blueprint and starting fresh. Dean Battinto Batts calls this moment “an inflection point,” where trust is eroding and technology is racing ahead faster than most newsrooms can follow. Julia Wallace insists transformation must be rooted in community, warning that too many audiences have been “left alone” without information they can rely on. Together, they’re pushing for flatter newsrooms, bold experiments with AI, and business models that do more...
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296 The last American newspaper takes the stage
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
When Ken Tingley retired after more than two decades leading The Post-Star in Glens Falls, New York, he thought he was closing the book on his newsroom career. Instead, he wrote one. Then he took it a step further—turning his memoir, The Last American Newspaper, into a stage play that sold out four nights in a row at the Adirondack Theatre Festival. The production didn’t just entertain. It pulled audiences to their feet, stirred tears, and forced a community to reckon with what happens when a local newsroom fades away. Access more at this episode’s landing page, at:
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295 The CFINR mission: Clear values, stronger trust
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
What if every newsroom in America posted its journalistic values where everyone could see them? That’s the bold vision behind the Center for Integrity in News Reporting (CFINR), founded by Walter Hussman — legendary publisher of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and chairman of WEHCO Media — and led by Executive Director Rufus Friday. Their mission is as ambitious as it is urgent: rebuild public trust in journalism by making transparency impossible to ignore. In this conversation, they reveal how a simple statement of values could transform how audiences see — and support — the news. ...
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294 In Detroit, a powerful case is made for saving local journalism
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
What happens when more than 250 civic leaders, journalists, academics, and funders gather to face the collapse of local news head-on? In Detroit, it sparked an unfiltered conversation about trust, collaboration, and what it will take to rebuild journalism from the ground up. In this episode of E&P Reports, five media power players unpack the July 22 “Local News Crisis” event — and what must happen next. If you care about the future of local journalism, this is the conversation you can’t afford to miss. Access more at this episode’s landing page, at:
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293 New chapter for Lansing’s City Pulse: Philanthropy backs fierce independence
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
In an era when hedge funds gut local newspapers and trust in media is under siege, Lansing’s fiercely independent City Pulse has found a surprising new lifeline—not in corporate consolidation, but in mission-driven philanthropy. The paper’s founder, Berl Schwartz, turned down multiple offers before striking a deal with the Michigan Independent Media Group, led by civic engagement leader Dr. Jason Franklin. Their partnership isn’t just a transaction—it’s a bold experiment in saving local journalism with values at the center and sustainability in sight. Access more at this...
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292 Brewing trust: How a newsroom and brewery built community through beer
"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder
What happens when a local newspaper and a craft brewery join forces? In Spokane, Washington, it results in the First Amendment beer — a bold collaboration between The Spokesman-Review and No-Li Brewhouse that's as much about community as it is about hops. In this episode, we crack open the surprising story behind the beer making headlines and the mission to protect local journalism. It’s a blueprint for sustainability with authentic flavor — and one you’ll want to sip on. Access more at this episode’s landing page, at:
info_outlineCristi Hegranes is an award-winning journalist and founder of the Global Press Institute (GPI), a nonprofit organization that builds and maintains news bureaus in some of the world’s least-covered locations, like: Cameroon, Haiti, Kashmir, Mongolia, Nepal, Zambia and more.
The organization recruits local women in the areas and then implements a 16-week training-to-employment program in which they learn the principles and practice of investigative journalism. Upon completion, graduates are offered full-time, paid employment as reporters with GPI’s Global Press Journal (GPJ), which aims to “produce ethical, accurate news, to create a more just and informed world, with team members who are guided by four core values: dignity, diversity, transparency and excellence.”
In September 2023, Hegranes released her new book: “BYLINE: How Local Journalists Can Improve the Global News Industry and Change the World,” which features original interviews with some of the biggest names in journalism, including Nicholas Kristof, Carroll Bogert, Bobby Ghosh, Lauren Williams, as well as Global Press reporters across the planet.
In the book, Hegranes states that international coverage led by local journalists can restore trust in the entire news publishing industry. She explains, “to enact this solution, the industry will have to let go of many outdated assumptions about what news people want, who has a right to tell their story.”
In this episode of “E&P Reports,” we go one-on-one with award-winning journalist and founder of the Global Press Institute (GPI) Cristi Hegranes, whose new book: “Byline” makes a case that the global news publishing industry can become more sustainable by rethinking how it provides global news coverage by focusing on local news sourcing — as opposed to: “The flawed discipline of parachute journalism.”
Within the interview with E&P Publisher Mike Blinder, Hegranes cites recent GPI research indicating, “There is a deep reservoir of untapped demand from readers in the United States — across a wide range of demographics, including noncitizen, diaspora, and migrant populations — for international journalism that is local, precise and representative.”