Legacy news outlets are investing in their digital offerings 

Last week, The Washington Post launched an updated version of its homepage as part of broader “enhancements” of the paper’s digital offerings. Brian Stelter writes for CNN that newsroom staff loathed the old version of the homepage, which had only a few slots for top stories and lacked a “sense of cohesion.” The new version is part of publisher and chief executive Will Lewis’s plan to return the post to profitability. 

And just a few weeks ago, the Minneapolis Star Tribune announced that it is rebranding as the Minnesota Star Tribune as part of a larger “reboot.” CEO and publisher Steve Grove told Dick Tofel that the new iteration of the paper includes an entirely new digital platform and app, as well as new subscription offerings.  

News In Focus
Headlines, resources and events aligned with API’s four areas of focus.

Civic Discourse & Democracy

>> The Wall Street Journal offers advertisers a performance guarantee timed to the election (AdWeek)

In an effort to dissuade advertisers from pausing their ad campaigns during the election, The Journal is offering a “performance guarantee” between October 15 and November 15. 

>> Is the press ‘sanewashing’ Trump? (Columbia Journalism Review)

In recent months, critics have accused mainstream media outlets of cleaning up former President Trump’s language so much that the coverage fails to convey the incoherence of his language. Jon Allsop argues that the real focus should be on the very coherent and often dangerous things that Trump says. 

>> New from API: How local opinion journalism serves civic discourse and democracy

Opinion sections are natural spots for convening; in fact, it’s what the section is for. Their structure, at its best, uplifts what different people care about and why, and it stewards conversation about matters of importance to local communities. 

—

Culture & Inclusion

>> How newsrooms track the diversity of their sources can lead to tradeoffs in time spent, information collected (Poynter)

Each of the three main approaches to source auditing — retroactive source auditing, real-time source tracking and automated source monitoring — have their benefits and drawbacks. Real-time tracking tends to be the most accurate but most time-intensive. 

+ API’s Source Matters tool automates source tracking to help newsrooms uncover audience-first stories and better serve their communities. 

—

Community Engagement & Trust

>> Tips for communicating your newsroom’s impact (Reynolds Journalism Institute)

Montana newsroom the Flathead Beacon put together an impact report for funders and readers to understand the publication’s work. For each section, reporters wrote columns about their beats to help explain the importance of their work in the community. 

>> Journalism as repair and power building (Medium, Simon Galperin) 

A lack of trust in the media is often rooted in a lack of understanding — or a misunderstanding — in why journalists do their jobs, writes Simon Galperin. His outlet The Jersey Bee is now focused less on “getting stories” and more on helping distribute information, including helping a local school redesign its flyers to better highlight resources. 

>> New from API: Using events to supercharge your election coverage (Better News) 

For the past three years, Conecta Arizona has hosted frequent in-person cafecitos, ranging from small coffee klatches to large programmed events, and is ramping up further ahead of the 2024 elections. “Especially when you’re talking about elections, you need to understand the importance of trust from the community,” says founder Maritza Félix. 

—

Revenue & Resilience

>> Google’s support for news media in Latin America may lead to dependency, study finds (LatAm Journalism Review)

A recent study found that the Google News Initiative’s presence in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East tended to produce beta versions or prototypes of projects that small newsrooms were unable to continue after Google’s funding ceased. 

>> It’s time to talk about effective funding practices in local news (In Depth NH) 

Journalism professor Bernardo Motta writes that journalism funders need to be more thoughtful in how they distribute funding by understanding what is important about journalism — like providing a public service to local residents — rather than focusing on content quantity or national attention. 

>> Join us: Diversifying Revenue Series: Monetizing local evergreen, nostalgia content

Table Stakes Alumni, join us for a conversation with Newsday about how hyperlocal evergreen coverage and nostalgia storytelling can contribute to an organization’s revenue and engagement strategy. The webinar will be held tomorrow, September 12 from 1 – 2pm EDT. 

—

What else you need to know

📺 Jorge Ramos, Univision news legend, to exit at year-end (Variety)

💰 Media leaders, philanthropists raise $15M for local news initiative in LA (Axios) 

🪧 New York Times tech workers union votes to authorize a strike (Axios)