Vertical video is rapidly becoming one of the most powerful tools available to local media companies — both for audience engagement and new revenue opportunities.

In this episode of Keep It Local, Ryan Welton speaks with David Arkin of David Arkin Consulting about the findings from his recent LMII report on the opportunity for media companies using Reels and vertical video.

They discuss how platforms like Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok are changing how audiences consume news — and why local publishers should embrace vertical video as a key part of their digital strategy.

Arkin explains how these formats can help media companies build stronger brand recognition, deepen audience loyalty, generate story tips, and unlock new advertising opportunities.

The conversation also dives into practical strategies for newsrooms trying to build sustainable vertical video workflows and the importance of experimentation and consistency.

• Why vertical video is reshaping how audiences consume news

• Differences between Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube video ecosystems

• How vertical video strengthens brand recognition for local media

• Why these platforms are more about loyalty than traffic

• New monetization opportunities through branded video content

• The role of vertical video in AEO and search visibility

• Practical newsroom strategies for producing effective Reels

• Why consistency and experimentation are essential

David Arkin Consulting

https://www.davidarkinconsulting.com

Local Media Association

https://localmedia.org

For decades, “Best Of” programs have been associated with newspapers. But broadcast stations are increasingly discovering they may be even better positioned to win in this space.

Julie Foley of Second Street joins Ryan Welton to explain how TV and radio stations are:

1. Generating six-figure annual revenue
2. Growing newsletter lists by thousands
3. Capturing first- and zero-party data
4. Building stronger advertiser relationships
5. Using self-serve e-commerce tools to unlock new revenue
6. Adding text-to-vote for incremental upsell

We discuss real-world examples, including stations in Myrtle Beach, Biloxi, and Kentucky that are seeing measurable results.

Julie also breaks down:

• How to structure a nomination, voting and winners phase

• What categories work best for broadcast

• Why mindset — not market size — is often the biggest barrier

• How to shift sales conversations from impressions to ROI

If you lead revenue, audience development or digital strategy at a local station, this episode offers a practical roadmap.

🔗 Learn more: lab.secondstreet.com

📧 Contact Julie Foley: jfoley@uplandsoftware.com

Third-party data is fading. Privacy regulations are tightening. Platform referrals are shrinking.

So what’s the plan?

On this episode of Keep It Local, Ryan Welton is joined by Todd Handy, CEO of Disruptive Impact, to discuss his latest LMII report: Winning with Zero and First-Party Data.

Todd explains:

1. What zero-party is (and how it differs from first-party data)
2. Why anonymous impressions are losing value
3. How consent-based audience signals improve advertiser performance
4. The connection between data strategy and audience trust
5. Practical steps local publishers can implement immediately

If you don’t have a clear audience data strategy heading into 2026, you’re behind the eight ball.

📘 The LMII report is available through the Local Media Association. LMII subscribers receive access. Others can purchase at localmedia.org.

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Ethan Holland joins the Keep It Local podcast from Local Media Association to discuss the real state of AI in 2026 — from newsroom workflows and ethics to emerging tools that are reshaping how journalists work.

Key Topics

• Why AI mirrors the early internet
• Multimodal AI and information digestion
• Prompting strategies that actually work
• Ethics, accountability and newsroom policy
• Likeness and trust
• Predictions for AI’s next phase

Guest

Ethan Holland

Vice President, Draper Digital Media

Board Member, Local Media Association

🔗 ethanbholland.com

As artificial intelligence becomes more common in journalism, one question matters most: what do audiences actually think about newsrooms using AI?

In this episode of Keep It Local, host Ryan Welton is joined by John M. Humenik, Chief Strategy and Operations Officer for Local Media Association, and Lynn Walsh, Assistant Director of Trusting News, to unpack findings from a new national survey on AI and journalism.

The survey — conducted with more than 1,400 local news consumers — offers rare, audience-driven insight into trust, transparency, and the role humans must play when AI is involved in news production.

• Why nearly 99% of respondents say humans must review AI-assisted journalism
• Which AI uses audiences are most comfortable with — and which raise red flags
• How transparency and disclosure affect trust in AI-assisted news
• Why AI familiarity among audiences leads to greater acceptance
• How newsrooms can use audience feedback to shape ethical AI policies
• Why AI literacy may be a trust-building opportunity, not a threat

Humenik and Walsh also discuss how newsrooms can responsibly experiment with AI, communicate openly with their communities, and use audience expectations as guardrails — not obstacles — as technology continues to evolve.

The full survey report is available at localmedia.org and is designed to be used inside newsrooms as a discussion and decision-making tool.

Keep It Local is a podcast from Local Media Association focused on sustainability, innovation, and the future of local journalism.

If you enjoyed this episode:

• Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform
• Leave a five-star review to help other journalists discover the show
• Share the episode with a colleague or newsroom leader

Lookout Local turns five this year — and its story offers one of the clearest roadmaps yet for rebuilding local journalism.

In this episode of Keep It Local, host Ryan Welton talks with Ken Doctor, founder and CEO of Lookout Local, and Ashley Harmon, the organization’s chief of staff, about how Lookout launched during one of the most turbulent moments in modern journalism — and emerged with a sustainable business, a Pulitzer Prize, and expansion underway.

Topics include:

• Why Lookout rejected the “start small” approach
• What made covering the Santa Cruz floods a defining moment
• How community engagement and revenue work together
• Why reporter visibility matters more than ever
• How Lookout’s app, newsletters, and short-form video strengthen relationships
• Lessons learned expanding to Eugene-Springfield
• What profitability really takes in local news
• Why Lookout believes this is an unprecedented moment for local journalism

This is a candid, practical conversation about what it actually takes to build a modern community newsroom — and why optimism may be justified heading into 2026 and beyond.

⭐️ Rate & review the podcast

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Giving Tuesday strategies for newsrooms with LMA’s Kristyn Cooper

Show Notes:

On this episode of Keep It Local, host Ryan Welton sits down with Kristyn Cooper, director of fundraising initiatives at the Local Media Association, to explore how local newsrooms can make the most of Giving Tuesday. Cooper shares insights from two decades in the nonprofit world—covering how to normalize fundraising, connect storytelling to generosity, and build long-term donor relationships.

Listeners will learn:

• How Giving Tuesday evolved into a $3.6 billion global movement
• Why journalists already possess the skills to be great fundraisers
• Best practices for donor engagement and impact storytelling
• Simple ways to make giving easy and friction-free

In this episode of Keep It Local, host Ryan Welton interviews Todd Handy, founder of Disruptive Impact and board member for the Local Media Association, about his new report, The SaaS-ification of Media. Handy shares how local publishers can learn from software companies by focusing on recurring revenue, retention and customer lifetime value.

Listeners will learn:

• What “SaaS-ification” means in practical terms for local media
• Why advertiser churn is the “silent killer” of sustainability
• How to run a Go-To-Market Audit to assess digital readiness
• Why every publisher needs a CRM to track renewals and growth
• How to start applying SaaS principles immediately — no matter your size

Resources Mentioned:

• The SaaS-ification of Media — Purchase via Local Media Association
• Contact Todd Handy: https://disruptiveimpact.co
• Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddjhandy/