Better News

2019-2024

A look back at the Better News podcast

In this special episode, Jan Ross Sakian, API's Table Stakes community manager, joins host Michael O’Connell to wrap up the sixth and final season of the Better News podcast.

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Better News: WITF uses democracy beat to restore trust and push back against political rhetoric

Tim Lambert and Scott Blanchard of WITF talk to Better News podcast host Michael O'Connell about the origins of the NPR's democracy beat and how this new approach impacts...

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Better News: Live events can help news organizations connect with their communities

Senior event producer Amy Zielinski shares how Vermont Public is using events to foster dialogue and connect with its audience.

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Better News: Efforts to serve GenZ increase revenue and engagement

Executive editor Kayla Green shares how The Sumter Item and Gulf Coast Media used Athlete of the Week and Next Generation features to engage younger readers and increase revenue...

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Better News: How the Henrico Citizen grew its email list and reader revenue

By focusing on the audience funnel, owner and publisher Tom Lappas was able to generate 9,000 email subscribers and generated $34,000 at the Henrico Citizen.

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Better News: Food and drink reporting drives revenue to The Sacramento Bee

Benji Egel of The Sacramento Bee discusses how news organizations can create a regional keepsake that drives revenue toward their newsroom.

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Better News: Tips and strategies for improving community-focused election coverage

David Plazas, director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee, recently wrote a study for the Better News initiative on how The Tennessean created a significant,...

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Better News revisits the best stories of 2023

Kamaria Roberts, the deputy director of local news transformation at the American Press Institute, highlights the work API has done over the last year through its Better News Initiative and...

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Better News: The Coloradoan partners with university to foster public discourse, increase engagement

Eric Larsen, The Coloradoan’s executive editor, recently wrote a report for Better News about how a partnership with Colorado State University's Center for Public Deliberation reenergized the newspaper's opinion...

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Better News: Louisville Public Media makes news for and with its Black audiences

Better News podcast host Michael O'Connell talks to Louisville Public Media's vice president of content, Gabrielle Jones, about LPM's new approach to covering the news for and with its...

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Better News: The Fayetteville Observer charts new course with Black audiences

Editors Beth Hutson and Myron Pitts discuss The Fayetteville Observer's new initiative to restore trust and better engage its Black readers.

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Better News: How a ‘substantial lifestyle’ inspires and uplifts Black audiences

Greg Hedgepeth, president and CEO of Substantial Media LLC, shares strategies Substantial has used to grow its audience and connect with the Black community.

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