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April 21, 2017

Local Fix: Local Podcasts that Work, Mobile Apps, and Trust


Welcome to the Local Fix. Each week we look at key debates in journalism sustainability and community engagement through the lens of local news.  But first, we always begin with one good idea…

One Good Idea: Delete, Delete, Delete
We talk a lot about what new skills journalists and news organizations need, but just as important are the things we need to “unlearn.” Poynter’s Local Edition (go subscribe!), started a series about what journalists need to forget to survive with two journalists from Philadelphia this week. It’s worth a read.

How Are You Gaining Audiences for Your Local Podcasts?

picture of a microphone next to a pair of headphones.

(Creative Commons/Patrick Breitenbach)

Nick Quah, who writes the newsletter Hot Pod, and is a consultant with Democracy Fund, is researching how podcasting could help transform local newsrooms and the revenue opportunities it can offer. So we figured you, our friendly Local Fix-ers, may have some thoughts on this question. If you’re working on a podcast, how are you thinking about growing your audience? Do you have a marketing strategy? Or are you totally stumped? Respond to localnewslab@democracyfund.org to share your thoughts and questions about local podcasts. Here are some interesting stories about local podcasts that may inspire some answers:

An App-etite for Mobile

As mobile use continues to grow (and grow, and grow), we hope the barrier to entry for tiny publishers and local newsrooms to mobile experiments, apps, and tools gets smaller and smaller. Developing an app for your organization isn’t always the right answer, but there are lots of tools and advice to learn from when you’re thinking about how to serve that mobile audience.

What We Are Learning About Trust

There has been a lot written about misinformation and trust that raises more questions than answers. This week, we went looking for a few key articles that help tackle big questions about these complex issues. None of these pieces have all the answers, but each of them helps move the discussion forward in important ways.
Have a good weekend
Josh and Teresa
@jcstearns, @gteresaThe Local Fix is a project of the Democracy Fund’s Public Square Program, which invests in innovations and institutions that are reinventing local media and expanding the public square. Disclosure: Some projects mentioned in this newsletter may be funded by Democracy Fund, you can find a full list of the organizations we support on our website.