This Is One Way to Save Local News

Local news is on life support in the US. Since 2005, more than 3,200 print newspapers have closed or merged. That is a staggering number. But different business models have sprung up to fill that gap, including digital-only and non-profit ventures like a startup media company in Maryland’s biggest city, the Baltimore Banner.

How are communities affected when local events simply never become stories? How does removing the profit motive change the way the news is produced? And what's it like competing with a nearly 200-year-old incumbent? We put those questions to Julie Sharper, an enterprise reporter for the Banner.

2:45 Julie’s pattern of deep but shifting interests became an asset in journalism.

4:25 Julie is short, but people underestimate her at their peril.

7:00 The Baltimore Banner is a nonprofit, digital-first newsroom.

8:15 The nonprofit model shifts focus away from shareholder pressure (because there are no shareholders) toward journalism quality.

8:50 How does the Banner differ from the biggest paper in Maryland, Julie’s former employer, The Baltimore Sun?

11:30 In a digital-first newsroom, does anyone need to show up to the office?

14:05 The Banner’s financial model and how it sustains growth. Subscriptions make advertising revenue important but less central.

16:05 What is an enterprise reporter?

18:30 Covering city hall.

20:00 Why don’t more behind-the-scenes conflicts make it into published stories?

25:30 Investigating Baltimore Ravens player Justin Tucker.

28:30 The challenges of protecting anonymous sources while maintaining legal rigor.

31:00 Why legacy media organizations may hesitate to pursue big stories

33:30 The emotional toll and eventual validation of the reporting

34:50 The broader impact of local journalism on institutional accountability

38:10 The role of AI in journalism. Julie believes it will not replace core reporting or writing functions.

40:00 Baltimore’s reputation and how outsiders perceive the city