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What Works: The Future of Local NewsAuthor: Dan Kennedy and Ellen Clegg
From Northeastern University's School of Journalism. Local news, the bedrock of democracy, is in crisis. Dan Kennedy of Northeastern University and veteran Boston Globe editor Ellen Clegg talk to journalists, policymakers and entrepreneurs about what's working to keep local news alive. Language: en Genres: News, News Commentary, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Episode 110: Chris Fitzsimon
Episode 110
Tuesday, 9 December, 2025
Dan and Ellen talk with Chris Fitzsimon, publisher and CEO of The States Newsroom, the nation's largest nonprofit news organization covering state government. Chris is also the host of a new podcast called Stories from The States. Recent topics on his pod include the impact of Medicaid cuts, ICE detention, and redistricting. Fitzsimon knows his way around state politics. From 2004 to 2017, he directed a team of seven journalists at the NC Policy Watch, which he founded. He also hosted a weekly radio show and wrote a syndicated column on North Carolina politics and government. From 1991 to 1994, he was the spokesperson, speechwriter and policy adviser for the North Carolina speaker of the House. Before that, he was a television news reporter covering politics and government. Dan has a Quick Take about The Salt Lake Tribune in Utah. In 2019, the Tribune became the first legacy daily newspaper to become a nonprofit. Unlike a few notable hybrids like The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Tampa Bay Times, which are for-profit papers owned by nonprofit foundations, the Salt Lake paper is a true nonprofit, just like your local public television or radio station. And the Tribune has been notably successful. Ellen's Quick Take is on an investigation by SpotlightPA into the director of the Penn State Cancer Institute. The news outlet, which is a nonprofit that provides reporting to more than 90 outlets throughout Pennsylvania, uncovered damaging clinical practices and a toxic work environment. After the story ran last month, the director resigned.
