This Changes Everything #1: The Future of News in California

California Groundbreakers

In this first episode, we’re taking a look at The Future of News in California, and how the pandemic has added more stress to local newspapers, which are already in a downward spiral. If they keep cutting back, or close for good, how will we Californians get our news? We’re talking about that with: * Colleen McCain Nelson, the brand new editor in chief of the Sacramento Bee, and regional editor of the McClatchy company’s four other newspapers in California * Jeff VonKaenel (pictured top right), owner of the News & Review, which has published free weekly community newspapers in Sacramento and Chico for over 40 years. PODCAST PLAY BY PLAY * 0 to 8 minutes - Why we're doing this new "This Changes Everything" podcast, and intro to the Bee's new editor Colleen Nelson * 9:38 min - How can someone who never lived in California be the right pick as top editor for five California newspapers? * 12:55 - Nelson's answer to the people who say, "I don't subscribe to the Bee because there's nothing to read in it anymore." * 15:25 - The controversy around "clickbaiting," and how to balance publishing stories that people find interesting to read and publish stories that they should be reading * 20:12 - Should newspapers focus on certain topics because they've got the staffing (i.e., political reporters in Sacramento) or the reader interest (i.e., restaurants), and less on other topics that don't have that support? * 23:15 - How the Bee newspapers are covering equity and diversity now * 28:35 - How the new Community Advisory Boards will work * 32:20 - Why do hedge funds and billionaires like Jeff Bezos want to buy newspapers, and what does that mean for the future of news? * 37:30 - What keeps Nelson motivated to keep working in an industry that everyone says is near death ----- * 43:30 min - Intro to Jeff VonKaenel * 44:50 min - He describes the day when he knew the coronavirus would make him layoff 40-plus staffers and stop publishing the papers * 47:20 min - What goes into the $45,000-per-week cost for publishing newspapers that don't charge for subscriptions * 50 min - Is the financial model of being supported by advertising totally dead? * 53 min - If free community newspapers stop printing, where will people get their local news? And do people know -- and care -- about this crisis? * 56:40 min - VonKaenel talks about the Independent Journalism Fund he started * 57:55 min - Google and Facebook are setting up multimillion-dollar funds to rescue local journalism -- even though they're seen as the reasons why local newspapers are dying. Will VonKaenel take their money? * 1 hr, 55 sec - What he has in mind for a new business plan to save local media * 1 hr, 7:40 min - What Californians can do to ensure local journalism stays alive and thrives NOTABLE LINKS * McClatchy Company, owners of the Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee, Merced Sun-Star and The Tribune in San Luis Obispo - www.mcclatchy.com/ * News and Review, which publishes in Chico, Sacramento and Reno - www.newsreview.com * Nieman Journalism Lab, a great website to read (for free)about what the future of journalism could look like - www.niemanlab.org * The title of the book that Vanessa couldn't remember when talking to VonKaenel about the connection between newspapers and democracy is "Ghosting the News" by Margaret Sullivan - https://globalreports.columbia.edu/books/ghosting-the-news/ Photo credit: Terry Hagz, Sacramento News & Review