Emily Sweeney tells us how she uses social video to help The Boston Globe reach new audiences

This video about a break-in at a mansion in Beverly, Mass., helped launch Emily Sweeney to stardom.

On the latest “What Works” podcast, Ellen Clegg and I talk with Emily Sweeney of The Boston Globe. As the Globe’s first social video journalist, Emily has broken through the clutter on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram with her Dorchester accent and her collection of track suits. Not to mention her skills as a reporter.

There’s a Northeastern connection as well: Sweeney played on NU’s championship-winning Division 1 women’s ice hockey team.

I’ve got a Quick Take about NJ Spotlight News, a website and a newscast that covers politics and public policy in New Jersey. It’s also featured in our book, “What Works in Community News.” Spotlight was in danger of being seriously downsized after Donald Trump and the Republican Congress zeroed out funding for public media. The state of New Jersey, facing a budget crisis, cut its public media subsidy as well. Now, though, it looks like there’s good news to report.

Ellen’s Quick Take is on a comprehensive investigation into a Trump donor named Tim Barnard. Barnard Construction has received billions in taxpayer dollars to build the border wall in the Southwest. The story was reported by the nonprofit High Country News in Colorado and republished by another nonprofit news site, AZ Luminaria in Arizona. It’s a strong example of how a national story can be localized and, in doing so, pack a real punch.

You can listen to our conversation here, or you can subscribe through your favorite podcast app.

Finally, a programming note: The podcast will be on mute for the summer, returning in late August or September. So behave yourselves.