No guest this week as co-hosts Ellen Clegg and I run down a number of news stories, including a major deal in New Jersey: the nonprofit Corporation for New Jersey Local Media (CNJLM) acquired 14 weekly newspapers serving some 50 municipalities. The papers were owned by the New Jersey Hills Media Group.
The deal is similar to one announced last year when Colorado Community Media sold its 24 weekly and monthly newspapers in a complex deal involving several nonprofit organizations. The difference is that management of the Colorado papers was turned over to The Colorado Sun, a digital start-up that was awarded an ownership share and could eventually become the majority owner. In New Jersey, the sellers, Liz and Steve Parker, will remain in charge.
Ellen unpacks the story behind a glaring omission in the award-winning documentary film, “Storm Lake,” and we both try to grapple with the blockchain and how Web3 might affect local newsrooms.
You can listen to our conversation here and subscribe through your favorite podcast app.
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Sharon Hessney
Dan — How many of the MA papers that are either being closed or pun online only are towns with town meeting government?
How can we have town meeting government without a newspaper? Is anyone talking about this?
Dan Kennedy
Sharon, I’d like to think I talk (and write) about it constantly, to the point where people would start moving away from me at parties if the pandemic hadn’t resulted in no more parties.