Small Press, Big Ideas

Hosted by Paul Gewuerz

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129

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Jul 2026

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About the show

Small Press, Big Ideas is a podcast about the business of local news and community journalism in the US. Host Paul Gewuerz interviews entrepreneurs and journalists in the field to get their take on what's working, what isn't, and how local publishers can thrive in today's rapidly changing media landscape.

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September 7, 202630 min

Running six Ohio news sites with AI

Julie D'Aloiso built a Northeast Ohio local news network almost by accident, and in this episode she traces the winding path that got her there. A former COBOL programmer turned early social media adopter, she launched SpiderCat Marketing, ran an internet radio station out of her basement, and started covering her own town once the local paper went quiet. Today she and her small family team run more than twenty city Facebook pages and six news sites, reaching millions of views a month. Our conversation gets into how she actually pulls it off: using Claude as a ghostwriter, turning long council meetings into short form video that regularly goes viral, and stitching together revenue from ads, national ad networks, and community submission tools. Julie also explains why she believes content is still king, and why AI is not always the answer. Links: Julie D'Aloiso - LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdaloiso/ email: julie@spidercatmarketing.com SpiderCat Marketing https://spidercatmarketing.com/ Nordonia Hills News https://nordoniahills.news/ NE Ohio News https://neohio.news/ --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the podcast platform built for local media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

August 31, 202635 min

What local news is trying next

Sophie Culpepper covers local news for Nieman Lab, the Harvard based publication tracking how journalism is evolving in a digital age. She joins the show to map what is actually working in local media right now, from a Provincetown newsroom that ran a capital campaign to buy housing for its reporters to Chicago Public Media reimagining a donated web domain as a neighborhood social square. The conversation digs into the business side of local news, including events as real revenue, regional scale as a survival strategy, and the state policies starting to fund newsrooms. Sophie also makes a case for staying a self described Luddite in her own writing. Links: Nieman Lab https://www.niemanlab.org/ Sophie Culpepper socials LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-culpepper/ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/speppered.bsky.social --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the podcast platform built for local media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 20, 202634 min

Funding journalism with the tools that threaten it

Brian Kennett is the founder of Built Revenue. He argues that local publishers are sitting on the most valuable asset in their market, a trusted audience, and monetizing almost none of what it is worth. In this conversation Brian breaks down why the platforms will never build the tools publishers actually need, how complexity and disconnected systems quietly bleed revenue, and why he leans fully into AI to fund journalism rather than fear it. He and Paul trade real examples of publishers turning idle space into cafes, event venues, and studios, and Brian makes the case that the publishers moving fast right now are the ones who will still be standing in five years. Links: Built Revenue https://www.builtrevenue.com/ Brian Kennett - LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankennett/ --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the podcast platform built for local media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 13, 202648 min

How AI rewired a one person newsroom

Uriah Kiser has spent more than three decades in local media, from interviewing President Clinton as a teenage TV reporter to launching Potomac Local two years before the Virginia newspaper he grew up delivering shut its presses for good. Sixteen years later he is still covering why the cops were on your street, what the city council voted on, and which new restaurant just opened, all while running lean with a rotating crew of high school interns. In this conversation Uriah breaks down how AI reshaped his workflow without breaking the rules of journalism, from turning hours long meeting transcripts into story ideas to profiling prospects before a sales call and translating ad analytics into plain language clients actually read. Links: Uriah Kiser - LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/uriah-kiser-27093a10/ Potomac Local News https://www.potomaclocal.com/ --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the podcast platform built for local media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 6, 202641 min

The firewall between business and editorial is becoming a half wall

Brandon Mercer is the Vice President of Ad Product Integrated Solutions at Hearst, where he builds the programs that sit between editorial and advertising across the company's local newspaper properties. Brandon argues that the old firewall between the business and editorial sides is turning into a half wall, something teams should be able to see over rather than hide behind. His clearest advice for local publishers is to pour energy into email, text messaging, and events, the channels they actually control as search traffic and zero click answers eat into website readership. Links: Brandon Mercer - LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mercerbrandon/ Mentioned in the episode: Trumpia - https://www.trumpia.com/ Subtext - https://info.joinsubtext.com/ Sailthru - https://zetaglobal.com/sailthru/ Inside the Creator Economy newsletter - https://insidethecreator.beehiiv.com/ --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the podcast platform built for local media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

June 29, 202641 min

What Blockbuster and Redbox reveal about local news

Justin Rushing has spent more than fifteen years on the revenue side of local news. Today he is cofounder of the HBCU Digital Media Collaborative, which partners with historically Black colleges and universities to help students build campus publishing outlets and find real pathways into media careers. In this conversation Justin traces how a single internship pulled him into a field he did not know existed, why activating students on campus sits at the heart of the Collaborative's work, and what local publishers should actually focus on in 2026. He argues that revenue is logistical before it is transactional, that publishers should monetize whichever asset is stronger, their brand or their audience, and that the consumer rather than the newsroom ultimately decides what survives. Links: Justin Rushing: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-rushing-21341616/ https://www.iamjustinrushing.com/ HBCU Collaborative https://hbcucollaborative.org/ --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the podcast platform built for local media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

June 22, 202633 min

Vertical video is where your audience already is

David Arkin returns to the podcast to talk about the format reshaping local media right now: vertical video. He breaks down why reels are no longer a young person's medium, why dropping a two and a half minute TV segment into the feed never works, and what actually does. The conversation gets specific, from green screen and split screen formats to a TV anchor who built a sustainable rhythm by repackaging quick hit stories at her desk. David also gets into the money question head on. He explains how publishers become eligible for Meta monetization regardless of follower count, how reels can be built into branded content packages and sold as standalone series, and why posting two or three reels a day beats flooding the feed. Links: davidarkinconsulting.com Connect with David LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidarkin11/ email: david@davidarkinconsulting.com --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the audio platform built for local media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

June 15, 202622 min

Sixty years of covering Black Atlanta

Donnell Suggs is editor in chief of the Atlanta Voice, Atlanta's only Black newspaper, which marked its 60th anniversary in May without ever missing an issue. He joins the show to talk about two decades of reporting in Georgia, what it means to run a free community paper where ads, not subscriptions, pay the bills, and why political campaigns and local institutions spend money to reach his readers. Links: Donnell Suggs - LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnell-suggs-90287a26/ The Atlanta Voice https://theatlantavoice.com/ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theatlantavoice --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the audio platform built for local media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

June 8, 202640 min

Using AI to eliminate the grunt work

Peter Stuart spent 20 years in journalism before quitting his editorial role at in late 2025 to build an AI-powered publishing platform called Velora. In this conversation, he walks through what that platform actually does: a news discovery engine that monitors hundreds of sources across multiple languages, an AI co-writing tool that challenges and strengthens copy, automated CMS population, social image generation, and a verification layer that can block publication until flagged errors are resolved. The conversation gets into the editorial philosophy behind it all. Peter argues that the real value of AI in a newsroom isn't replacing judgment but eliminating the repetitive work that crowds it out. Links: Velora https://velora.build/ Peter Stuart contact info: email peter@velora.build LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterstuartcreative/ --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the audio platform built for local media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

June 3, 202640 min

The indie rock station model for local media

Lorne London has been publishing in Toronto since 1989, starting with an eight page community newspaper in his unheated basement. Today his company reaches 200,000 print readers a month and 1.4 million social media followers, while every competitor he once had in the city has folded. In this conversation, Lorne breaks down the mindset that has kept him standing: stop chasing home runs and hit singles instead. He talks about building an Instagram presence that operates like an indie rock station, why he refuses to cover negative news, and how he grew a massive audience without paying the algorithm. He also shares what he calls "revenue agnosticism" and why local publishers struggling for survival need to fight the battle where they are strongest, not where their competitors are. Links: Streets of Toronto https://streetsoftoronto.com/ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/streetsoftoronto --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the audio platform built for local media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices