Local News Matters
Highlighting the innovative work of local newsrooms and the crucial questions they face.
Innovation. Business models. Community listening. Authenticity. Diversity and inclusion. Digital evolution. Tech stacks. Ad products. Audience growth. Healthy newsroom cultures. Journalism with impact.
Listen to leading doers and thinkers in local news—from small rural and ethnic publications to large ecosystem builders and funders—address these topics and more on the Local News Matters podcast.
Hosted by Tim Regan-Porter, CEO of the Colorado Press Association, Local News Matters features extended conversations covering a wide range of topics. Tim talks to reporters, editors, publishers, startup founders, sales leaders, philanthropists and more – anyone doing new or exemplary work or proffering thought-provoking insights is fair game.
Whether you’re a newsroom leader, a sales executive or just a citizen who cares deeply about informed communities, you’ll find something here worth your time.
If you know of local newsrooms are doing innovative work or interesting thinkers & doers in local news, please let us know via the feedback link in the menu.
Newest episode
A holistic vision for local news ecosystems with Michael Bolden, CEO of the American Press Institute
Michael Bolden’s role as CEO of the American Press Institute and his background in newsrooms, philanthropy, academia and community engagement gives him in a unique 360-degree view of journalism and how journalists interact with communities. In this conversation, we...
Past episodes
Special “emergency” episode: Should news media be defined in statute?
This week, a draft of a Colorado open records bill circulated on Twitter. The bill, among other things, would give a special cost break to news media—as defined in the bill—on records requests. Should journalists get special treatment and should government define...
Centering relationship and community with Spaceship Media and The Wedge podcast: LNM Episode 4
When Spaceship Media's Erica Anderson found herself arguing with her mom over vaccines, she wanted to apply Spaceship's dialogue journalism techniques. What resulted was even more personal than anticipated. In this episode, Eve Pearlman and Erica Anderson discuss...
Shut up and listen: Jennifer Brandel of Hearken on innovation via empathy & inclusiveness: LNM Episode 3
Jennifer Brandel, co-founder of Hearken, Zebras Unite, Civic Exchange Chicago, Election SOS, Democracy SOS and WBEZ’s Curious City, shares lessons on designing experiments for sustainability, equity and impact. Episode chapters: (2:40) - Jennifer’s path to public...
Trends in local news with Corey Hutchins + takeaways and fact check for Sopris Sun episode: LNM Episode 2
Corey Hutchins looks back at local news trends in 2022 with Bay Edwards and host Tim Regan-Porter. They discuss the growing role of nonprofit newsrooms, collaborative efforts across the country, government support of local news and public notices. Next, Bay and...
Innovation & inclusiveness with a small staff at the Sopris Sun: LNM Episode 1
In the first full episode of the Local News Matters podcast, host Tim Regan-Porter sits down with executive director Todd Chamberlain and editor Raleigh Burleigh of the Sopris Sun, a weekly print newspaper and nonprofit in the small town of Carbondale, Colorado....
Preview: Innovating with limited money, serving communities with empathy & inclusion
In this preview episode, host Tim Regan-Porter introduces the podcast with excerpts from the first four full episodes. Across interviews with journalists and executives of very different organizations, some common themes emerge, including: what it takes to innovate...