Strengthening democracy through local journalism and collaboration with Allison Taylor Levine of Delaware’s Local Journalism Initiative

Local News Matters

Allison Taylor Levine, founder and CEO of the Local Journalism Initiative, shares her insights into building a nonprofit collaborative newsroom and the importance of local news to democracy. She discusses the challenges of launching the initiative in Delaware, from creating internship programs to fostering collaboration among local newsrooms. Levine highlights how Spotlight Delaware, LJI’s flagship project, focuses on policy coverage and public engagement to fill critical gaps in the local news ecosystem.

Levine also explores the role of community foundations in supporting journalism, explaining how these institutions can serve as partners, not just funders. She offers practical advice for newsrooms looking to collaborate with community foundations, outlining the importance of understanding their unique funding models and leveraging their strengths as conveners.

In addition to discussing the financial sustainability of nonprofit journalism, Levine dives into innovative revenue models like mission-aligned sponsored content. With her background in journalism, marketing, and philanthropy, she explains how storytelling and community engagement are central to the success of local news organizations.

Episode chapters:

(00:02:13) - Starting the Local Journalism Initiative

(00:04:30) - The role of community foundations

(00:09:33) - Convening and partnering with community foundations

(00:11:56) - The need for a new journalism initiative in Delaware

(00:18:38) - Engaging funders and explaining the importance of local news

(00:24:51) - Rehabilitating local news perceptions and reality

(00:31:17) - LJI structure and journalism as a dialogue

(00:34:43) - Collaborative journalism to strengthen newsrooms throughout the state

(00:41:19) - Building financial sustainability for LJI and sponsored content’s surprising role

(00:46:38) - Speaking the languages of journalist, funder and community

(00:50:19) - Rapid-fire questions

(00:58:02) - Media and local recommendations

Show notes

Links:

• Allison Taylor Levine: Linkedln, Instagram

• Local Journalism Initiative

• Spotlight Delaware

• Mentioned

• Delaware Community Foundation

• Solutions Journalism Network

• Stuart Comstock-Gay

• UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media

• American Journalism Project

• Longwood Foundation

• Texas Tribune

• Jake Owens

• Institute for Nonprofit News

• Local recommendations

• Delaware beaches

• Longwood Gardens

• Lums Pond State Park

• Star of India

• Media recommendations

• Jessica Yellin’s News Not Noise

• The Second Mountain by David Brooks

• What is the What by Dave Eggers

• Local News Matters: web, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

• Pirate Audio

• Colorado Press Association: web, Twitter, Facebook

• Tim Regan-Porter: bio, Twitter

For show notes, transcripts, newsletter sign-up and past guests on the Local News Matters podcast, please visit localnewsmatterspodcast.com or lnmpod.com.

Past guests on the Local News Matters podcast include: Crystal Good (Black by God), Lisa Snowden (Baltimore Beat), Karen Rundlet (INN), Jim Brady (Knight Foundation), Candice Fortman (Exit interview, Outlier Media), Jean Friedman-Rudovsky (Resolve Philly), Jay Rosen (NYU), Sue Cross (Exit interview, INN), Mary Margaret White (Mississippi Today), Amy Kovac-Ashley (Tiny News Collective), Michael Shapiro (TAPinto), Kenny Katzgrau (redbankgreen and Broadstreet), John Garrett (Community Impact), Shannon Kinney (Dream Local Digital), Larry Ryckman (The Colorado Sun), Frank Mungeam (Local Media Association), Kelly Ann Scott (Alabama Media Group), Sara Lomax and S. Mitra Kalita (URL Media), Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro (National Trust for Local News), Mike Rispoli and Richard Young (via When the People Decide), Sarabeth Berman (American Journalism Project), Rabbi Hillel Goldberg and Shana Goldberg (Intermountain Jewish News), Lyndsay C. Green (via The Journalism Salute), Rashad Mahmood and Mark Glaser (New Mexico Local News Fund), Christian Vanek and Barbara Hardt (The Mountain-Ear), Dan Grech (BizHack), Zack Richner (Easy Tax Credits), Tracie Powell (Pivot Fund), Dan Oshinsky (Inbox Collective), Linda Shapley (via What Works), Yehong Zhu and Jake Seaton (Zette, Column), Charity Huff (January Spring), Joaquin Alvarado and Dave Perry (Aurora Sentinel), Steve Waldman (Rebuild Local News), Maritza Félix (Conecta Arizona), Michael Bolden (American Press Institute), Jeff Roberts and Corey Hutchins (CFOIC, Colorado College), Eve Pearlman and Erica Anderson (Spaceship Media), Jennifer Brandel (Hearken, Democracy SOS), Corey Hutchins with Bay Edwards, Todd Chamberlain and Raleigh Burleigh (Sopris Sun).