In this episode of Keep It Local, Ryan Welton sits down with Liz White Notarangelo, co-CEO of Local Media Association and Local Media Foundation, for a frank and energizing conversation on the real work of newsroom transformation.

Liz brings deep experience as a fifth-generation publisher who led a legacy newsroom through digital transformation—and now helps lead innovation across the local media industry.

They dig into:

• Why every newsroom must adopt a culture of continuous change
• The power of “succeed or fail fast”—and how to operationalize it
• Why listening is a newsroom’s most underutilized superpower
• How trust lays the groundwork for any sustainable revenue model
• What to stop doing—and how to focus on what matters

Plus: Liz previews LMA Fest 2025, where AI, branded content, philanthropy, and revenue innovation will take center stage.

Resources:

• Learn more: localmedia.org
• Learn more about LMA Fest: https://localmedia.org/event/lma-fest-2025/

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John Celestand joins Keep It Local host Ryan Welton to talk about his work with the Knight x LMA BloomLab.

🎙️ Topics Covered:

• What the Knight x LMA BloomLab is and how it works
• Supporting 25 Black-owned newsrooms across the U.S.
• Lessons learned from 3 years of digital transformation
• AI's evolving role in local media
• Why community trust must be earned again and again
• The unique role of Black-owned media in the American press

🔗 Learn more: https://localmedia.org/knight-x-lma-bloomlab/

💬 Connect with John Celestand on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johncelestand

Collaboration over competition: How Oklahoma Media Center is strengthening local news

In this episode of Keep It Local, host Ryan Welton chats with Rob Collins, executive director of the Oklahoma Media Center, about how a statewide collaborative is helping newsrooms band together to tackle big challenges—and build a stronger future for local journalism.

They discuss:

• What a news collaborative is and why it matters
• How Oklahoma Media Center supports newsrooms with funding, training, and tools
• Why collaboration—not competition—is key to sustainability
• Creative ways to rebuild trust with local audiences
• The future of local news in Oklahoma and beyond
• Rob’s vision for recruiting, training, and retaining the next generation of journalists

🚨 Plus: Rob shares how OMC has distributed nearly $300,000 in project funding and launched innovative campaigns like “Free Press Isn’t Free” to promote the value of journalism.

📍 Mentioned in this episode:

• OklahomaMediaCenter.com – Learn more about OMC’s work
• LocalMedia.org – More about the Local Media Association

🎧 If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with a newsroom leader or journalist you know!

Episode description / show notes:

In our debut episode of Keep It Local, host Ryan Welton sits down with Shannon Kinney, founder of Dream Local Digital and longtime LMA collaborator, to unpack the power of branded content — storytelling that builds audience and revenue.

They discuss:

• What branded content is (and isn’t)
• How it creates value for both advertisers and audiences
• Real-world success stories from local media companies
• How the Branded Content Project is helping newsrooms generate sustainable revenue
• Why alignment between editorial and sales is essential
• The value of trust, transparency, and utility in content strategy

🚨 Plus: Shannon shares how media companies can join upcoming Branded Content Project cohorts, tap into free training, and get support through hands-on boot camps and case studies.

📍 Mentioned in this episode:

• BrandedContentProject.com – Resources, case studies, and cohort info
• LocalMedia.org – More about the Local Media Association
• DreamLocal.com – Shannon Kinney’s agency helping 75,000+ businesses grow online

🎧 If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with a newsroom leader or journalist you know!